Pregnancy intention in an urban Australian antenatal population.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of unintended pregnancy in women presenting for antenatal care to a large metropolitan hospital in Sydney, Australia, and to investigate health behaviours and demographic factors associated with unintended pregnancy.

Methods: From October 2010 to April 2011, a self-administered questionnaire covering pregnancy intention, contraceptive use and demographic information was given to 1,554 women. A total of 1,218 women (78.

Why do women experience untimed pregnancies? A review of contraceptive failure rates.

Contraceptive failure contributes to a substantial proportion of unintended pregnancy, particularly in the developed world. A number of socio-demographic factors seem to impact on the risk of a woman experiencing contraceptive failure. Many of the issues exist across cultural boundaries and are complex to address.