Prevalence of Unwanted Pregnancy and Associated Factors among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care at Durame Maternal and Child Health Center Southern Ethiopia 2018

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Unintended pregnancy is a pregnancy that is either unplanned or unwanted at the time of conception, and it is a significant public health concern in the world nowadays . Analysis of Demographic and Health Survey data shows that the magnitude of unintended pregnancy in developing countries ranges from 14% to 62% of all births. The highest rate of unintended pregnancy occurs in Sub-Saharan Africa, where about 86 unintended pregnancies occur for every 1000 women of reproductive age. Unintended pregnancy is an important public health problem that predisposes women to maternal deaths and illnesses mainly through unsafe abortions and poor maternity care. It is associated with late initiation and inadequate utilization of antenatal care services, maternal depression and anxiety and smoking and drinking behaviors during pregnancy. The underlying causes of unplanned pregnancies among unmarried adolescents are associated with poverty; lack of timely and appropriate information from parents on issues of sexual and reproductive health; denial of adolescents’ access to sexual and reproductive health information and services, inadequate laws and policies; and also ill-equipped health systems which lack confidentiality, convenient opening hours and unfriendly attitudes of staff towards unmarried adolescent girls. Unplanned pregnancy is very common among adolescence and they have a higher risk than any other age group. In most developed countries as well as in Latin America, the Caribbean and some parts of sub-Saharan Africa the majority of pregnancies in adolescents occurs outside of marriage and are often unplanned and unwanted. In low-income countries, because less availability and options low use of contraception continues to be the main factor influencing the prevalence of unintended pregnancy. Many women and couples in Ethiopia do not have the knowledge, tools or assistance needed to maintain their reproductive health and have the number of children they desire.