Variation in Self-Perceived Fecundity among Young Adult U.S. Women

Self-Perceived Infertility is Not Always Associated with Having Fewer Children: Evidence from German Panel Data

Proximate determinants theory considers infertility rates a risk factor for lower fertility rates, but the assumption that people who perceive infertility will have fewer children has not been tested. This study investigates the association of self-perceived infertility with the number of children people have had after 11 years. Infertility implies reduced chances of conception (rather than sterility), but people do not always consistently perceive infertility over time. If people who think they are infertile at one time can later report no infertility, then does self-perceived infertility necessarily lead to having fewer children? We answer this question by analyzing 11 waves of the German family panel (pairfam) data using negative binomial growth curve models for eight core demographic subgroups created by combinations of gender (men/women), parity (0/1+children), and initial age groups (25-27 and 35-37). Those who repeatedly perceived themselves to be infertile (three times or more) had fewer children than those who perceived themselves to be infertile once or twice in only four of eight gender by initial parity by age groups. Only in four groups did people who perceived themselves to be infertile once or twice have fewer children than those who never perceived themselves to be infertile in both the unadjusted and adjusted models. Thus, self-perceived infertility does not necessarily result in fewer children. Rather, the association depends upon life course context and gender.

Ranges of pregnancy preferences and contraceptive use: Results from a population-based survey in the southeast United States

CONTEXT

Understanding how pregnancy preferences shape contraceptive use is essential for guiding contraceptive interventions and policies that center individuals' preferences and desires. Lack of rigorous measurement of pregnancy preferences, particularly on the population level, has been a methodologic challenge.

METHODS

We investigated associations between prospective pregnancy preferences, measured with a valid instrument, the Desire to Avoid Pregnancy (DAP) scale, and contraceptive use in a representative sample of 2601 pregnancy-capable self-identified women, aged 18-44 years, in Alabama and South Carolina (2017-2018). We used multivariable regression with weighting to investigate how probability of modern contraceptive use, and use of different contraceptive method types, changed with increasing preference to avoid pregnancy.

RESULTS

Desire to Avoid Pregnancy scale scores (range:0-4, 4 = greater preference to avoid pregnancy, median = 2.29, IQR: 1.57-3.14; α:0.95) were strongly associated with contraceptive use among sexually active respondents (aPR = 1.15 [1.10, 1.20]; predicted 45% using contraception among DAP = 0, 62% among DAP = 2, 86% among DAP = 4). Method types used did not differ by DAP score. The most common reasons for nonuse were concern over side effects and not wanting to use a method (32% each) among respondents with mid-range and high DAP scores. Among those with mid-range DAP scores, 20% reported nonuse due to not minding if pregnancy were to occur (vs. 0% among those with high DAP scores).

CONCLUSIONS

Pregnancy preferences strongly influence likelihood of contraceptive use. Providion of appropriate contraceptive care to those not explicitly desiring pregnancy must differentiate between ranges of feelings about pregnancy, perceived drawbacks to contraceptive use, and legitimate psychological and interpersonal benefits of nonuse to promote autonomy in contraceptive decision-making.

If fear of infertility restricts contraception use, what do we know about this fear? An examination in rural Ethiopia

Background

Ethiopia has made great progress toward reducing unmet need for family planning and increasing contraception use over the last decade. However, almost one-quarter of women still have an unmet need. The primary reason for non-use is “method-related health concerns” and, within this broad category, the belief that using contraception will cause infertility is common. This belief extends beyond Ethiopia to low-, middle-, and high-income countries across the world. The objective of this paper is to examine associations with the belief that contraception use causes infertility and to subsequently suggest potential strategies to address this misperception.

Methods

We collected data from women of reproductive age (between 15 and 49 years old) in 115 rural districts of Ethiopia (n = 706). Our main outcome variable was the belief that contraception causes infertility. We analyzed data, both individual-level factors and interpersonal factors, using nested logistic regression models.

Results

Almost half of women in our sample (48.2%) believed that contraceptive use causes infertility. In the final model that included factors from both levels, self-efficacy to use contraception (AOR = 0.81, p < 0.05), visiting a health center and speaking to a provider about family planning in the last 12 months (AOR = 0.78, p < 0.05), and husband support of contraception (AOR = 0.77, p < 0.01) were associated with a reduction in the odds of believing that contraception causes infertility. The belief that infertility will result in abandonment from one’s husband (AOR = 3.06, p < 0.001) was associated with an increase in the odds of holding the belief that contraception causes infertility. A home visit in the last 12 months from a health worker who discussed family planning was not associated with the belief that contraceptive use causes infertility.

Conclusions

Given that this belief is both salient and positively associated with other fears such as abandonment from one’s husband, it is critical for family planning programs to address it. Communication campaigns or interventions that address this misperception among couples may diminish this belief, thereby increasing contraception use and reducing unmet need in rural Ethiopia.

Qualitative research in sub-Saharan Africa has shown that women’s belief that contraception use causes infertility is a barrier to contraception use. In this paper, we examine different factors related to this belief and suggest strategies to address this misperception. We surveyed 706 married women from 115 rural districts of Ethiopia. We found that women who believed that infertility would result in abandonment from one’s husband had three times higher odds of believing that contraception causes infertility. We also found that some factors associated with a decreased odds in holding this belief included self-efficacy to use contraception, visiting a health center and speaking to a provider about family planning, and husband support of family contraception. A home visit from a health extension worker who discussed family planning was not associated with holding this belief. Our findings suggest some ways to address this misconception. Clearly, women’s own self-efficacy, or believing that they can use family planning, is an important piece to any intervention. Given that husbands’ support of contraception is associated with reduced odds of holding the belief that contraception causes infertility, including them in intervention efforts is also a logical step. Finally, a home visit from a health extension worker was not associated with reduced odds of holding this belief. Including information that contraception does not cause infertility and discussing the real causes of infertility as part of their education strategy may help debunk this myth and thereby reduce unmet need in rural Ethiopia.

Infertility, Perceived Certainty of Pregnancy, and Contraceptive Use in Malawi

Infertility and unintended pregnancy are dual burdens in Malawi, where 41% of pregnancies are unintended and approximately 20% of people report infertility. Although preventing unintended pregnancy has been a focus in public health, infertility has rarely been explored as a factor that may be associated with contraceptive use. Using cross-sectional survey data (2017-2018; N = 749), we report on the prevalence of and sociodemographic characteristics associated with infertility and certainty of becoming pregnant among women in Malawi. We conducted multivariable logistic regressions examining the relationship between infertility, certainty of becoming pregnant, and contraceptive use. Approximately 16% of women experienced infertility, and three-quarters (78%) were certain they could become pregnant within one year. Women who experienced infertility had lower odds of contraceptive use than women who did not (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR]: 0.56; 95% Conficence Interval [CI]: 0.39-0.83). Women who said there was "no chance" or they were "unlikely" to become pregnant also had lower odds of contraceptive use compared to women who were certain they would become pregnant (AOR: 0.30; 95% CI: 0.10-0.92). Our findings indicate that experiences and perceptions surrounding fertility are associated with contraceptive use, underscoring their importance in understanding how people manage their fertility to reach their reproductive goals.