Illustrating a shift in their contraceptive needs, nearly half (43 percent) of the 502 new and expectant mothers surveyed report that they currently use or are considering using a different method of birth control than they used prior to becoming pregnant.

Though our survey is the first of its kind, the results reinforce what many busy mothers already know, said Miriam Zieman, M.D., assistant professor of gynecology and obstetrics at the Emory University School of Medicine. A womans life changes dramatically with the birth of a baby and so do her contraceptive concerns and considerations. New mothers want birth control options that are simple, effective and give them the peace of mind that allows them to adjust to the hectic routine of having a new child.

The Impact of Unmet Needs

According to the survey, a womans discontent with her contraception can have serious implications for intimate relationships with her partner. Fifty-seven percent of new mothers report that the frequency of sexual intercourse has decreased since the birth of their first child. Survey findings also indicate that women who are dissatisfied with their contraceptive are more than twice as likely than their satisfied counterparts to indicate some level of dissatisfaction with their sex life since the birth of their first or most recent baby.

One in three (33 percent) of new and expectant mothers surveyed report that their most recent pregnancy was unplanned. Fifty-three percent of those unplanned pregnancies occurred among dissatisfied users of contraceptives, making dissatisfied users more than three times more likely to have had an unplanned pregnancy.
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Contact: Alicia Lurry
alurry@emory.edu
404-616-6389
Porter Novelli
7-May-2002