An Evidence‐Based Guideline for Unintended Pregnancy Prevention

Abstract

Despite the frequency of and significant costs related to unintended pregnancy, it has received less attention in research and prevention guidelines development than other important health threats. This lack of attention has resulted in a system-wide failure to provide care to reproductive aged women who are at risk of unintended pregnancy. An evidenced-based blueprint for a coordinated system of primary, secondary and tertiary prevention is proposed for health professionals who provide care for patients at risk for unintended pregnancy.

Unintended pregnancy: a framework for prevention and options for midlife women in the US

“…Estimates are that for women 40-44 years of age, 48% of pregnancies are unintended [12][13][14][15]. However, Europe has reported unplanned pregnancy estimates as high as 30% among women 45-49 years of age [12,13].…”

“…Taylor and colleagues proposed using a comprehensive, culturally appropriate public health framework in which primary, secondary, and tertiary measures are integrated into nationally supported clinical guidelines and incorporated into primary care competencies for health professionals [13]. The proposed framework for prevention and management of unintended pregnancy rests on foundational work by the World Health Organization on Primary Health Care that is grounded in public health and primary medical care.…”

“…Secondary prevention services incorporate pregnancy diagnosis, pregnancy options counseling and management, referral and counseling for pregnancy care, adoption or early abortion referral and care. Tertiary prevention is focused on preventing complications associated with a later unintended pregnancy and support for women and their families who experience later unintended pregnancy [13]. Tertiary prevention for midlife women may incorporate prevention efforts specific to women who have experienced multiple unintended pregnancies [13].…”

“…Improving the accessibility and quality of unintended pregnancy care can further ensure that all women who continue their unplanned pregnancies have the best possible pregnancy and parenting outcomes. A tertiary approach to preventing unintended pregnancy should be combined with multifaceted public health interventions addressing health disparities in reproductive health services, toxic stress, and economic supports [13].…”

The Effect of Life Skills Training on Social Communication of Clients Referring to Drug Abuse Clinics

“…Nurses play an effective role at three prevention levels. Public education about a healthy lifestyle constitutes the main part of the first level of prevention (28)(29)(30).…”