IntroductionResearch about pregnancy-planning behaviour mostly focuses on women, even though pregnancy planning usually also concerns men. The purpose of this study was to investigate how men plan for family, and to measure their fertility knowledge after having become fathers.Material and methodsData were collected in 2014 as part of a Swedish longitudinal pregnancy-planning study. Men were recruited through their female partner one year after childbirth. Participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire about pregnancy planning, lifestyles, and fertility.ResultsOf the 796 participants, 646 (81%) stated that the pregnancy had been very or fairly planned, and 17% (n = 128) had made a lifestyle adjustment before pregnancy to improve health and fertility. The most common adjustments were to reduce/quit the consumption of alcohol, cigarettes, or snuff, and to exercise more. First-time fathers and those who had used assisted reproductive technology to become pregnant were more likely to have made an adjustment. Fertility knowledge varied greatly. Men with university education had better fertility knowledge than men without university education.ConclusionOur findings indicate that there is variation in how men plan and prepare for pregnancy. Most men did not adjust their lifestyle to improve health and fertility, while some made several changes. Both pregnancy-planning behaviour and fertility knowledge seem to be related to level of education and mode of conception. To gain deeper understanding of behaviour and underlying factors, more research is needed.

ObjectiveTo investigate the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACE) and pain with onset during pregnancy.DesignCross‐sectional study.SettingEighteen antenatal clinics in southern Mid‐Sweden.SampleOf 293 women invited to participate, 232 (79%) women agreed to participate in early pregnancy and were assessed in late pregnancy.MethodsQuestionnaires were distributed in early and late pregnancy. The questionnaires sought information on socio‐demography, ACE, pain location by pain drawing and pain intensity by visual analogue scales. Distribution of pain was coded in 41 predetermined areas.Main outcome measuresPain in third trimester with onset during present pregnancy: intensity, location and number of pain locations.ResultsIn late pregnancy, 62% of the women reported any ACE and 72% reported any pain location with onset during the present pregnancy. Among women reporting any ACE the median pain intensity was higher compared with women without such an experience (p = 0.01). The accumulated ACE displayed a positive association with the number of reported pain locations in late pregnancy (r s = 0.19, p = 0.02). This association remained significant after adjusting for background factors in multiple regression analysis (p = 0.01). When ACE was dichotomized the prevalence of pain did not differ between women with and without ACE. The subgroup of women reporting physical abuse as a child reported a higher prevalence of sacral and pelvic pain (p = 0.0003 and p = 0.02, respectively).ConclusionsAdverse childhood experiences were associated with higher pain intensities and larger pain distributions in late pregnancy, which are risk factors for transition to chronic pain postpartum.

The London Measure of Unplanned Pregnancy may benefit from item reduction and its usefulness may be questioned. The Swedish Pregnancy Planning Scale is time-efficient and shows acceptable reliability and construct validity, which makes it more useful for measuring pregnancy planning.

Objective To study if childhood emotional, physical and sexual abuse are determinants for having an unplanned pregnancy, if the categories of abuse interact, and if a potential bias due to the selection of the participants (collider stratification bias) could explain the effect of childhood abuse. Design A cross‐sectional study. Setting The study is based on the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) and uses data from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway. Sample Women participating in the MoBa for the first time, ≥18 years of age who responded to questions regarding childhood abuse and pregnancy planning (n = 76 197). Methods Data were collected using questionnaires. We conducted analyses using modified Poisson regressions and the relative excess risks due to interaction (RERI). Sensitivity analyses were performed. Main outcome measure An unplanned pregnancy (yes/no). Results Exposure to childhood emotional (adjusted relative risk [RR] 1.14, 95% CI 1.10–1.19), physical (adjusted RR 1.11, 95% CI 1.04–1.18) and sexual (adjusted RR 1.20, 95% CI 1.14–1.27) abuse increased the risk of having an unplanned pregnancy. The effects could not be explained by the collider stratification bias. The different combinations of categories of abuse did not show any interaction effects. Conclusions Childhood emotional, physical and sexual abuses separately increase the risk of having an unplanned pregnancy. The results indicate that victims of childhood abuse are in greater need of support to achieve their reproductive goals. Tweetable abstract Childhood abuse increases the risk of having an unplanned pregnancy. #reproductivehealth #epitwitter.

Background Human embryonic stem cells are currently used for developing treatment against Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, the use of ES cells is surrounded with moral concerns. Research regarding the public's attitudes can form an important basis for policymaking. The aim was to explore the perceptions of the public on using donated human embryos for developing treatment of Parkinson’s Disease. Methods Semi-structured individual qualitative interviews were conducted with 11 members of the general population in Sweden. Interviews were analyzed with thematic content analyses. Results Four categories and additional sub-categories; Different views on the embryo requires delicacy, Using embryos to treat Parkinson’s disease, Doing things in the right way, and Communication, media, and public opinion. In general, respondents were positive towards the usage of embryotic stem cells to treat PD, but the usage were conditioned and specific terms were demanded. Informed consent from both donors were required and delicacy and sensitivity when working with embryos were needed. Conclusions It was perceived better to use surplus embryos to treat PD increase is than to discard them, also among those who perceived the embryo as “a potential life.” The participants raised several conditions under usage for treatment should be allowed. Even if the embryos otherwise are going to be discarded, usage requires informed consent from the donating couples.