Search

Purpose: Unintended pregnancy and short interpregnancy intervals are associated with adverse maternal and child health outcomes. This study describes the prevalence of unmet need for postpartum contraception and evaluates the relationship between race/ethnicity and unmet need for postpartum contraception in the United States. Methods: This is a population-based, cross-sectional study using data collected from a stratified random sample of postpartum women by the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, 2016-2019. Descriptive statistics were used to describe respondent characteristics and to estimate the prevalence of unmet need for postpartum contraception. Logistic regression was used to describe the association between unmet need for postpartum contraception and race/ethnicity. Adjusted odds ratios were calculated by controlling for confounders selected based on evidence from the literature in order to more accurately estimate the isolated effect of race/ethnicity on unmet need for contraception. Results: The overall prevalence of unmet need for postpartum contraception was 10.1%. American Indian and Alaska Native (8.6%) and Hispanic (9.0%) women had the lowest prevalence of unmet need. Women who identified as other race (16.6%), Asian (12.4%), and Black (11.9%) had the highest prevalence of unmet need. After adjusting for confounders, only Black (aOR:1.47; 95% CI: 1.20-1.80), Asian (aOR:1.87; 95% CI: 1.34-2.63), and women who described themselves as other race (aOR: 2.86; 95% CI: 1.19-6.93) had statistically higher odds of unmet need compared to Hispanic women. Conclusion: There are significant racial/ethnic disparities in unmet need for postpartum contraception in the United States. There is a need for client-centered postpartum contraception interventions. Key words: postpartum contraception, race, disparities, family planning, unmet need

Additional file 2. Blank English interview guides.

Additional file 3. Illustrative behavioral hypotheses.

Additional file 1. Completed COREQ checklist.

Additional file 4. Consent forms.