Exnuptial conception in New Zealand
Werry, J.S.; Pearson, A.S.; Taylor, C.M.; Bonham, D.G.
New Zealand Medical Journal 79(513): 853-857
1974
ISSN/ISBN: 0028-8446 PMID: 4527796 Document Number: 519412
A survey was conducted in Auckland, New Zealand to obtain some information about exnuptial conception. The study subjects came from 2 main sources: antenatal clinics at the teaching obstetric hospital; and a hostel/hospital catering to unmarried mothers only. The clinic group was comprised of all unmarried primagravida attending over a 3 month period--Group 1 (n=92). Toward the end of this 3-month period it was decided to obtain contrast groups by interviewing all married primigravidae under the age of 23. About half of those interviewed in the married group had participated in "shotgun" weddings--Group 3 (n=22). Those who successfully avoided pregnancy before marriage formed Group 4 (n=23). The hostel group--Group 2 (n=22)--was necessarily somewhat different. The authorities allowed only volunteers to be interviewed, and the sample turned out to be ethnically and educationally advantaged over the clinic group. The hostel group was analyzed separately at all times. The data concerning conception was in the main retrospective and is subject to an unknown reminiscence error. Although not statistically significant, the study suggested that females who continue unmarried throughout their pregnancy are younger than those who marry because of the pregnancy (pregnant/married), and this latter group in turn are younger than those who manage to avoid pregnancy until after marriage (married/pregnant). If one excludes the highly selected hostel population, there was little difference across groups except that Catholics in general appear to be least successful in avoiding extranuptial conceptions, particularly those leading to "shotgun" weddings. The 3 clinic groups did not differ markedly in educational attainment or socioeconomic status as judged by the women's father's occupation so that advantaged status did not appear to protect against exnuptial preg nancy. Most had had some sex education, and mother and school were the primary sources of the information. Only 4 women, all in the single group, seemed not to have known clearly that unprotected sexual intercourse is the cause of pregnancy. Although over 1/3 of the women or their partners had used contraceptive methods at some time, mostly oral contraception and the condom, only 15-20% were using a method at the time of conception and unreliable methods dominated with the pill failures being due mostly to failure to take it regularly. At a conscious level at least, the prospect of pregnancy was simply not considered as a risk in the 2 extranuptially confined groups; the 2 married groups had better realization of the possibility of pregnancy.