Contraceptive attitudes and contraceptive failure among women requesting induced abortion in Denmark.

TY - JOUR

T1 - Contraceptive attitudes and contraceptive failure among women requesting induced abortion in Denmark.

AU - Rasch, Vibeke

AU - Knudsen, L B

AU - Gammeltoft, T

AU - Christensen, J T

AU - Erenbjerg, M

AU - Christensen, J J Platz

AU - Sorensen, J B

N1 - Keywords: Abortion Applicants; Adolescent; Adult; Attitude to Health; Contraception; Contraception Behavior; Contraception, Postcoital; Denmark; Emigration and Immigration; Female; Humans; Pregnancy; Pregnancy, Unplanned

PY - 2007

Y1 - 2007

N2 - BACKGROUND: To elucidate how contraceptive attitudes among Danish-born and immigrant women influence the request of induced abortion. METHODS: A case-control study, the case group comprising 1095 Danish-born women and 233 immigrant women requesting abortion, in comparison with a control group of 1295 pregnant women intending to give birth. The analysis used hospital-based questionnaire interviews. RESULTS: Lack of contraceptive knowledge and experience of contraceptive problems were associated with the choice of abortion. This association was most pronounced among immigrant women, where women lacking knowledge had a 6-fold increased odds ratio (OR) and women having experienced problems a 5-fold increased OR for requesting abortion. Further, in this group of women, a partner's negative attitude towards contraception was associated with an 8-fold increased OR for requesting abortion. Contraceptive failure was prevalent; 21% of the women who did not plan to become pregnant but intended to give birth had experienced contraceptive failure. The same applied, respectively, for 45% of the Danish-born women and 36% of immigrant women, who requested abortion. Women who had experienced contraceptive failure were significantly more likely to request abortion. CONCLUSIONS: Immigrant women seem to have more difficulties in using contraception than Danish-born women. To address this problem, there is a need for culturally sensitive information campaigns targeting this heterogonous group of women.

AB - BACKGROUND: To elucidate how contraceptive attitudes among Danish-born and immigrant women influence the request of induced abortion. METHODS: A case-control study, the case group comprising 1095 Danish-born women and 233 immigrant women requesting abortion, in comparison with a control group of 1295 pregnant women intending to give birth. The analysis used hospital-based questionnaire interviews. RESULTS: Lack of contraceptive knowledge and experience of contraceptive problems were associated with the choice of abortion. This association was most pronounced among immigrant women, where women lacking knowledge had a 6-fold increased odds ratio (OR) and women having experienced problems a 5-fold increased OR for requesting abortion. Further, in this group of women, a partner's negative attitude towards contraception was associated with an 8-fold increased OR for requesting abortion. Contraceptive failure was prevalent; 21% of the women who did not plan to become pregnant but intended to give birth had experienced contraceptive failure. The same applied, respectively, for 45% of the Danish-born women and 36% of immigrant women, who requested abortion. Women who had experienced contraceptive failure were significantly more likely to request abortion. CONCLUSIONS: Immigrant women seem to have more difficulties in using contraception than Danish-born women. To address this problem, there is a need for culturally sensitive information campaigns targeting this heterogonous group of women.

U2 - 10.1093/humrep/dem012

DO - 10.1093/humrep/dem012

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 17296620

SN - 0268-1161

VL - 22

SP - 1320

EP - 1326

JO - Human Reproduction

JF - Human Reproduction

IS - 5

ER -