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Factors Associated with an Unmet Need for Contraception in the United States, 2002-2017

Molitoris, Joseph LU (2019) In Lund Papers in Economic Demography
Abstract
This study investigates the association between individual-level characteristics and the risk of
having an unmet need for contraception in the United States between 2002 and 2017 for women
who were sexually active, not pregnant or postpartum, fecund, and wanted no more children.
Using data from the National Survey of Family Growth, logistic regression models are used to
estimate the association between demographic, socioeconomic, and reproductive characteristics
and the probability of having an unmet need for any contraception and for modern methods. The
results show that 6.8% of the women at risk did not use any form of contraception and 12.1% did
not use any modern method. Women who were black, Catholic,... (More)
This study investigates the association between individual-level characteristics and the risk of
having an unmet need for contraception in the United States between 2002 and 2017 for women
who were sexually active, not pregnant or postpartum, fecund, and wanted no more children.
Using data from the National Survey of Family Growth, logistic regression models are used to
estimate the association between demographic, socioeconomic, and reproductive characteristics
and the probability of having an unmet need for any contraception and for modern methods. The
results show that 6.8% of the women at risk did not use any form of contraception and 12.1% did
not use any modern method. Women who were black, Catholic, insured by Medicaid or
uninsured, nulliparous, and who had not used contraception at their first sex had the greatest
odds of having an unmet need, suggesting that specific groups are disproportionately vulnerable
to unwanted pregnancy in the United States. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Working paper/Preprint
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Unmet need, contraception, inequality, United States
in
Lund Papers in Economic Demography
issue
2019:6
pages
37 pages
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
ab35a123-5bbe-4a09-b658-6f7c067352a1
alternative location
https://www.lusem.lu.se/sites/lusem.lu.se/files/2026-06/LPED_2019_6.pdf
date added to LUP
2026-06-29 14:30:31
date last changed
2026-06-29 14:30:31
@misc{ab35a123-5bbe-4a09-b658-6f7c067352a1,
  abstract     = {{This study investigates the association between individual-level characteristics and the risk of<br/>having an unmet need for contraception in the United States between 2002 and 2017 for women<br/>who were sexually active, not pregnant or postpartum, fecund, and wanted no more children.<br/>Using data from the National Survey of Family Growth, logistic regression models are used to<br/>estimate the association between demographic, socioeconomic, and reproductive characteristics<br/>and the probability of having an unmet need for any contraception and for modern methods. The<br/>results show that 6.8% of the women at risk did not use any form of contraception and 12.1% did<br/>not use any modern method. Women who were black, Catholic, insured by Medicaid or<br/>uninsured, nulliparous, and who had not used contraception at their first sex had the greatest<br/>odds of having an unmet need, suggesting that specific groups are disproportionately vulnerable<br/>to unwanted pregnancy in the United States.}},
  author       = {{Molitoris, Joseph}},
  keywords     = {{Unmet need; contraception; inequality; United States}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Working Paper}},
  number       = {{2019:6}},
  series       = {{Lund Papers in Economic Demography}},
  title        = {{Factors Associated with an Unmet Need for Contraception in the United States, 2002-2017}},
  url          = {{https://www.lusem.lu.se/sites/lusem.lu.se/files/2026-06/LPED_2019_6.pdf}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}