Committee Opinion No. 654

Reproductive Life Planning to Reduce Unintended Pregnancy

Abstract

Approximately one half (51%) of the 6 million pregnancies each year in the United States are unintended. A reproductive life plan is a set of personal goals regarding whether, when, and how to have children based on individual priorities, resources, and values. A lack of reproductive life planning, limited access to contraception, and inconsistent use of contraceptive methods contribute to unintended pregnancy. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists strongly supports women’s access to comprehensive and culturally appropriate reproductive life planning and encourages obstetrician–gynecologists and other health care providers to use every patient encounter as an opportunity to talk with patients about their pregnancy intentions and to support initiatives that promote access to and availability of all effective contraceptive methods.