Keeping Unintended Pregnancy at Bay

Approximately 49% of U.S. pregnancies are unintended, a rate that compares unfavorably with rates in countries such as France (33%) and Scotland (28%). Countries with lower unintended pregnancy rates tend to have fewer couples who use no contraceptive method. Interestingly, such countries also often have significantly higher rates of intrauterine device (IUD) use. Only 2% of U.S. women at risk for pregnancy use IUDs, compared with 6% of Scottish women and 20% of French women. Intrauterine contraception is essentially equal in efficacy to tubal sterilization; as such, IUDs have the potential to change unintended pregnancy rates markedly.

The authors of a Committee Opinion (CO) from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Commi…