kPregnancy can be a wonderful but stressful time in a couple’s life even when planned. An unintended pregnancy can add further stress. Unintended pregnancy is defined as a pregnancy that was mistimed, unplanned, or unwanted at the time of conception. It is one of the most prevalent issues in health care today. It is a result of non-use, mis-use or inconsistent use of contraceptive methods.
Unintended pregnancies can have significant negative consequences for all individuals. It can compromise the health, development, and economic stability of not just the mother and baby but society as a whole. In fact, unintended pregnancies cost taxpayers $21 billion in direct medical costs in 2010 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
While only five percent of unintended pregnancies are a result of contraceptive method failure, 50 percent of all South Carolina pregnancies are unintended. In 2017, Choose Well partnered with various health centers, including HopeHealth, to ensure that all South Carolinians have access to contraceptive care in hopes of reducing the rate of unintended pregnancies 25 percent by the year 2021.
The five-year initiative expands contraceptive education and access across the state in efforts to reduce unintended pregnancy among women ages 15-44 and is currently available at HopeHealth in Manning. The initiative helps provide Manning patients free birth control such as:
Nexplanon, a three-year implant inserted in the arm
Skyla, a three-year IUD
Liletta, a four-year IUD
ParaGard, a 10-year IUD that contains no hormones.
Reducing the rate of unintended pregnancies in Manning begins with one simple question: When a woman ages 15-44 visits HopeHealth: “Do you plan to be pregnant within the next year?
If the answer is no, she meets with a behavioral health counselor to discuss birth control options. Once she decides on a method of birth control, an appointment is scheduled with a health care provider specializing in contraceptive care. Family planning methods available through Choose Well include intrauterine devices (IUDs), Nexplanon implant, Depo-Provera, birth control pills, vaginal ring, condoms, and the birth control patch.
Unintended pregnancy is a healthcare dilemma both at the state and national level. However, it is preventable and contraceptive care is an important part of primary care services. For more on preventing unintended pregnancy, talk with your HopeHealth provider or visit www.nodrama.org or www.ChoosewellSC.org.
Rosemary Davis-Gordon is board certified by the American College of Nurse-Midwives as a nurse midwife and sees patients at HopeHealth in Manning. Davis-Gordon offers preventive care, screenings, counseling, family planning methods, prenatal care, and treatment for hormonal conditions.
