Nascimentos resultantes de gravidezes não-planeadas em Portugal

Abstract

Introduction: Unplanned pregnancies are a common occurrence, even in countries with easy access to contraception. This situation is closely associated, on the one hand, with abortion and, on the other, with adverse consequences for mothers and children. This research estimates the quantitative importance of this phenomenon and analyses the sociodemographic factors with which it is associated. Material and Methods: The study is based on the Fertility Survey carried out by INE in 2019-20, with a representative sample of 5,178 women, 3,269 of whom had already had children, for a total of 5,453 births. Three types of analysis were carried out: a) estimates of the magnitude of unplanned births; b) multivariate models, to estimate the effects of some sociodemographic factors on the chances of births being unplanned; c) statistical tests to analyze the relationships between unplanned births and women's current situation. Results: From this analysis it can be concluded that: 30% of births were unplanned; 40% of pregnancies were unplanned and around 38% of mothers had at least one unplanned child. The analysis shows that young age and non-marital status are the factors most associated with unplanned births, but socio-economic gradients are also relevant. Furthermore, it is confirmed that non-planning tends to be a recurrent behavior. Conclusion: The results of this research show the relative importance of unplanned pregnancies and births and the impact of various socio-demographic factors on this phenomenon. These two issues point to the need for a more in-depth assessment of the problems of fertility regulation in certain specific groups, in particular a better understanding of their contraceptive practices and recourse to termination of pregnancy.