Unintended Pregnancy in El Salvador: A Comparison of Men and Women

Marion W. Carter, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Lisa Whittle, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Most research about unintended pregnancy is based on women's reports and experiences, though men experience it as well. To help elucidate men's perspectives on unintended pregnancy, this research compares the prevalence, predictors, and potential consequences of unintended pregnancy for men and women. The data come from male and female national reproductive health surveys conducted in El Salvador in 2002-2003. Results show that the prevalence of unintended pregnancy among recent live births was significantly lower among men than among women (23% vs. 43%). The risk factors for unintended pregnancy were largely similar for the male and female samples, and unintended pregnancy was associated with negative pregnancy-related behaviors for both men and women (e.g. 61% of men attended a PNC visit for intended pregnancies vs. 30% for unwanted pregnancies). The addition of male data on unintended pregnancy provides a more complex and compelling perspective of the issue.