03 Nov Fathers Have Larger Influence Over Rapid Repeat Pregnancies
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Susan Cha, PhD
Division of Epidemiology
Department of Family Medicine and Population Health
School of Medicine
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, VA
Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Dr. Cha: We used data from the 2006-2010 National Survey of Family Growth to evaluate the association between couple pregnancy intentions and rapid repeat pregnancy (RRP) in women. Results indicated that the odds of RRP was primarily influenced by paternal rather than maternal desire for pregnancy. For instance, couples where the father intended the pregnancy but not the mother were 2.5 times as likely to have rapid repeat pregnancy than couples who both intended their pregnancy. Furthermore, more than 85% of women in the study reported no contraceptive use between pregnancies.
Medical Research: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?
Dr. Cha: In the context of healthy, non-violent relationships, clinicians should involve partners in family planning discussions and counseling on optimal birth spacing. Clinicians may also want to consider long-acting and effective contraceptive methods for women who contrary to their partners have no desire for pregnancy.
Medical Research: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?
Dr. Cha: More studies should consider the role of intimate partner violence in unintended and rapid repeat pregnancy since women in abusive relationships may have little or no control over their reproductive decisions. Future research should also evaluate interventions that leverage male partner support to improve reproductive health and sexual behaviors in women with healthy relationships.
Citation:
Discordant Pregnancy Intentions in Couples and Rapid Repeat Pregnancy
American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Published Online: October 28, 2015
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2015.10.149
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Susan Cha, PhD (2015). Fathers Have Larger Influence Over Rapid Repeat Pregnancies
Last Updated on November 3, 2015 by Marie Benz MD FAAD