Variation in Self-Perceived Fecundity among Young Adult U.S. Women

Gemmill, Alison; Sedlander, Erica; Bornstein, Marta

doi:10.1016/j.whi.2020.07.002

Cited by 9 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 43 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…This belief also reaches beyond Africa. Studies in the United States [ 14 , 15 ], Guatemala [ 16 ], Turkey [ 9 ], Bangladesh [ 17 , 18 ], and Vietnam [ 19 ] reported that this fear is a barrier to contraception use. A systematic review of barriers to contraception use among young people in low to middle income countries reported that the belief that contraception use would cause infertility was the most cited reason for non-use [ 20 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

If fear of infertility restricts contraception use, what do we know about this fear? An examination in rural Ethiopia

Sedlander

Yilma

Emaway³

et al. 2022

Reprod Health

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Ethiopia has made great progress toward reducing unmet need for family planning and increasing contraception use over the last decade. However, almost one-quarter of women still have an unmet need. The primary reason for non-use is “method-related health concerns” and, within this broad category, the belief that using contraception will cause infertility is common. This belief extends beyond Ethiopia to low-, middle-, and high-income countries across the world. The objective of this paper is to examine associations with the belief that contraception use causes infertility and to subsequently suggest potential strategies to address this misperception. Methods We collected data from women of reproductive age (between 15 and 49 years old) in 115 rural districts of Ethiopia (n = 706). Our main outcome variable was the belief that contraception causes infertility. We analyzed data, both individual-level factors and interpersonal factors, using nested logistic regression models. Results Almost half of women in our sample (48.2%) believed that contraceptive use causes infertility. In the final model that included factors from both levels, self-efficacy to use contraception (AOR = 0.81, p < 0.05), visiting a health center and speaking to a provider about family planning in the last 12 months (AOR = 0.78, p < 0.05), and husband support of contraception (AOR = 0.77, p < 0.01) were associated with a reduction in the odds of believing that contraception causes infertility. The belief that infertility will result in abandonment from one’s husband (AOR = 3.06, p < 0.001) was associated with an increase in the odds of holding the belief that contraception causes infertility. A home visit in the last 12 months from a health worker who discussed family planning was not associated with the belief that contraceptive use causes infertility. Conclusions Given that this belief is both salient and positively associated with other fears such as abandonment from one’s husband, it is critical for family planning programs to address it. Communication campaigns or interventions that address this misperception among couples may diminish this belief, thereby increasing contraception use and reducing unmet need in rural Ethiopia.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

If fear of infertility restricts contraception use, what do we know about this fear? An examination in rural Ethiopia

Sedlander

Yilma

Emaway³

et al. 2022

Reprod Health

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Indeed, among women who said that there was no chance or they were unlikely to become pregnant, under half (43%) also reported experiencing infertility. Therefore, it is possible that women are making determinations about their future fertility based on factors that may not be reliable (Gemmill, Sedlander, and Bornstein 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Infertility, Perceived Certainty of Pregnancy, and Contraceptive Use in Malawi

Bornstein

Huber‐Krum

Norris

et al. 2021

Studies in Family Planning

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Infertility and unintended pregnancy are dual burdens in Malawi, where % of pregnancies are unintended and approximately % of people report infertility. Although preventing unintended pregnancy has been a focus in public health, infertility has rarely been explored as a factor that may be associated with contraceptive use. Using cross-sectional survey data (-; N = ), we report on the prevalence of and sociodemographic characteristics associated with infertility and certainty of becoming pregnant among women in Malawi. We conducted multivariable logistic regressions examining the relationship between infertility, certainty of becoming pregnant, and contraceptive use. Approximately % of women experienced infertility, and three-quarters (%) were certain they could become pregnant within one year. Women who experienced infertility had lower odds of contraceptive use than women who did not (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR]: .; % Conficence Interval [CI]: .-.). Women who said there was "no chance" or they were "unlikely" to become pregnant also had lower odds of contraceptive use compared to women who were certain they would become pregnant (AOR: .; % CI: .-.). Our findings indicate that experiences and perceptions surrounding fertility are associated with contraceptive use, underscoring their importance in understanding how people manage their fertility to reach their reproductive goals.

show abstract

“…Surprisingly little research has paid specific attention to describe and understand low perceived susceptibility to pregnancy (notable exceptions come from Frohwirth, Moore, and Maniaci 2013, Polis and Zabin 2012, and Gemmill, Sedlander, and Bornstein 2020. These beliefs are a common barrier to contraceptive use and have meaningful sociodemographic variation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Low perceived susceptibility to pregnancy as a reason for contraceptive nonuse among women with unintended births

Gemmill¹,

Cowan²

2021

DemRes

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BACKGROUNDWhile low perceived susceptibility (PS) to pregnancy is a common risk factor for having sex without contraception among women susceptible to unintended pregnancy, little research has examined the correlates of low PS, and none have investigated whether low PS predisposes women to later pregnancy discovery and prenatal care initiation among women with unintended births. METHODSWe use data from the 2004-2011 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System and limit our sample to women in the United States with unintended births who were not using contraception at the time of the index pregnancy (n = 55,940). Women were classified as having low PS if they indicated they could not get pregnant at the time the index pregnancy occurred or they or their partner were sterile. We use logistic regression to identify correlates of low PS and determine whether low PS is associated with timing of pregnancy recognition and prenatal care initiation. RESULTSOver one-third of women with unintended births cited low PS as a reason for contraceptive nonuse. Maternal age and disadvantage are correlated with low PS. Among women with unintended births, those with low PS had lower odds of early pregnancy recognition (adjOR = 0.88; 95% CI: 0.82, 0.94) and prenatal care initiation (adjOR = 0.86; 95% CI: 0.79, 0.94) compared to those who did not hold these beliefs. CONTRIBUTIONAlthough research remains focused on other barriers to contraceptive use, low perceived susceptibility to pregnancy is critical to understanding the high rates of unintended pregnancies and births in the United States and may affect prenatal health.

show abstract

Variation in Self-Perceived Fecundity among Young Adult U.S. Women

Cited by 9 publications

References 43 publications

If fear of infertility restricts contraception use, what do we know about this fear? An examination in rural Ethiopia

If fear of infertility restricts contraception use, what do we know about this fear? An examination in rural Ethiopia

Infertility, Perceived Certainty of Pregnancy, and Contraceptive Use in Malawi

Low perceived susceptibility to pregnancy as a reason for contraceptive nonuse among women with unintended births

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About