Unintended Pregnancy - Causes

Causes

• Not using contraception.
• Using contraception inconsistently or incorrectly.
• Contraceptive failure (the method was used correctly, but did not work.) Contraceptive failure accounts for a relatively small fraction of unintended pregnancies when modern highly effective contraceptives are used.

Reasons contraceptives might not have been used or been used incorrectly include:

• Coercion. Rape or involuntary sex which sometimes happens in the context of domestic violence. Unintended pregnancies are more likely to be associated with abuse than intended pregnancies. This may also include birth control sabotage - manipulation of someone's use of birth control to undermine efforts to prevent pregnancy.
• Lack of knowledge about sex and reproduction. Including erroneous beliefs.
• Lack of knowledge or experience with the contraceptive, or lack of motivation to use it correctly.
• Lack of planning or ambivalence about whether to have a child.
• Religious or other cultural beliefs that discourage or even prohibit contraceptive use, or contribute to ignorance about them or how to use them correctly.
• Lack of over the counter availability, or shame over embarrassing doctor appointments.