Preventing unplanned pregnancies among married couples: Are services for only the wife sufficient?

Researchers used Udrys couple modeling statistical method to analyze data on 150 White low and middle income married couples living in the US during 1977-1979 who did not want a child or another child within two years to examine couple effects of predisposing factors on use of effective contraceptive methods and the rate of unplanned pregnancy. Wifes likelihood of quitting contraception was the most powerful variable in terms of use of effective methods (beta = 0.56; p < 0.001). Wifes likelihood of quitting contraception self-perception related to pregnancy and importance of having a girl had significant interaction effects between the wife and the husband (beta = -0.09 -0.22 and 0.07 respectively; p < 0.001 for all except importance of a girl p < 0.01). Effective method preference had a significant positive effect only for the wife (beta = 0.03; p < 0.001). Enjoyment of infant care perceived spousal desire for pregnancy and encouragement by others to have a child had a significant effect on the occurrence of an unplanned pregnancy for the husband (beta = -0.68 0.16 and 1.01 respectively; p < 0.05 for infant care and encourage pregnancy p < 0.001 for perceived spousal desire for pregnancy; odds ratio [OR] = 0.51 1.17 and 2.75 respectively). Effective method use was the only significant variable for the wife (beta = -0.42 OR = 0.66). These findings suggest that participation of husbands in reproductive education decision making and family planning services should be increased. They also indicate the need for national surveys that include data on both wife and husband to build a knowledge base about the effects of wives and husbands in reproduction parenting and family functioning and to use that knowledge to design changes in health care delivery that have a positive effect on the delivery of family planning or childbearing services in the US.