ArticlePloS one2021
The association of pregnancy control, emotions, and beliefs with pregnancy desires: A new perspective on pregnancy intentions.
Article in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 18 citations in OpenAlex.
- Contraceptive Alignment: A Descriptive Study of Concordance between Preferred and Actual Contraceptive Method Use.Studies in family planning · 2026Article
- Pregnancy Ambivalence, History of Pregnancy, Condom Use, and Contraceptive Use Among U.S. Youth Experiencing Homelessness.Maternal and child health journal · 2026Article
- Cultural Adaptation and Selection of a Minimal Set of Variables from Two Adolescent Pregnancy Risk Instruments (IRENE and REND) in Colombian Schoolgirls.Nursing reports (Pavia, Italy) · 2026Article
- Pregnancy, Birth, Neonatal, and Mental Health Outcomes Are Minimally Associated with Pregnancy Ambivalence.Studies in family planning · 2026Article
- Integrating Sexual and Reproductive Health Equity Into Public Health Goals and Metrics: Comparative Analysis of Healthy People 2030's Approach and a Person-Centered Approach to Contraceptive Access Using Population-Based Data.JMIR public health and surveillance · 2024Article
- Pregnancy Intention, Changes in Pregnancy Intention, and Pregnancy Incidence Among Female Nurses in North America.JAMA network open · 2023Article
- Longitudinal study of pregnancy intention and its association with pregnancy occurrence among female sex workers in Benin and Mali.Reproductive health · 2023Article
- Unintended Pregnancy and Abortion in the US Navy, 2016.Journal of general internal medicine · 2022Article
- Supply-Side Versus Demand-Side Unmet Need: Implications for Family Planning Programs.Population and development review · 2022Article
- Development and psychometric properties of the maternal ambivalence scale in spanish women.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2022Observational
- Women's Perspectives on a Reproductive Health Services Screening Question: An Alternative to Pregnancy Intention Screening.Women's health reports (New Rochelle, N.Y.) · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
contextStandard pregnancy intentions measures do not always align with how people approach pregnancy. Studies that have investigated beyond a binary framework found that those with "ambivalent" feelings towards pregnancy are less likely to use contraception consistently, but the reasons for this are unclear. We sought to gain a nuanced understanding of pregnancy desires, and how perceptions about pregnancy are associated with contraceptive use.
methodsWe used non-probability quota sampling based on sex, age, and geographic region for a web-based survey of heterosexual men and women, aged 21-44 years, who could become pregnant/impregnate and were not currently pregnant (n = 1,477; 51% female). The survey was created using unique items informed by recent literature. Bivariate and multivariable analyses explored relationships between various perceptions about pregnancy with pregnancy desires categorized as: wanting a pregnancy, not wanting a pregnancy, and not trying but would be okay with a pregnancy. We conducted a sub-group analysis of those who were not trying but would be okay with a pregnancy (n = 460), using descriptive statistics to examine how consistent contraceptive use was associated with emotions and beliefs about avoiding pregnancy.
resultsAfter adjustment, those who felt that pregnancy may not always be avoidable, but instead determined by fate/higher power, or a natural process that happens when it is meant to, were significantly more likely (aOR: 1.83, 95% CI: 1.05-3.36; aOR: 2.21, 95% CI: 1.29-3.76, respectively) to report not trying but being okay with pregnancy, whereas those with negative feelings about a pregnancy were less likely to feel okay about a pregnancy (aOR: 0.11, 95% CI: 0.08-0.15), versus not wanting a pregnancy. In the sub-group analysis, those who felt pregnancy was determined by fate/higher power or a natural process were more likely to report not using contraception consistently (70%, 68%, respectively).
conclusionsThose who state they are not trying but would be okay with pregnancy may not use contraception consistently because of beliefs that pregnancy is predetermined. Our findings support less categorical and more multidimensional approaches to measuring fertility intentions, with important implications for reproductive health service provision.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.