Exploring the concepts of intended, planned, and wanted pregnancy
Fischer, R.C.; Stanford, J.B.; Jameson, P.; DeWitt, M.J.
Journal of Family Practice 48(2): 117-122
1999
ISSN/ISBN: 0094-3509 PMID: 10037542 Document Number: 503522
This qualitative study using in-depth semistructured interviews determined how women define the intention status of current, past, and hypothetical pregnancies. The study population included 18 women, primarily in their first trimester, seeking prenatal care, elective abortion, or pregnancy testing. Findings demonstrated three major themes emerging from the interviews: 1) definition of terms related to pregnancy varied substantially among women and seemed to be highly correlated to social and cultural influences; 2) the concepts of wanted and unwanted pregnancy were qualitatively distinct from the concepts of planned and unplanned pregnancy and seemed to be more relevant to the decision to continue or abort the pregnancy; and 3) attitudes of male partners toward the pregnancies were very influential in how women defined their pregnancies.