American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Volume 202, Issue 3 , Pages 214-220, March 2010

Disparities in family planning

  • Christine Dehlendorf, MD, MAS

      Affiliations

    • Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco
    • Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprints: Christine Dehlendorf, MD, MAS, 995 Potrero Ave., Ward 83, San Francisco, CA 94110
    • ,
  • Maria Isabel Rodriguez, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA
    • ,
  • Kira Levy, BA

      Affiliations

    • Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco
    • ,
  • Sonya Borrero, MD, MS

      Affiliations

    • Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburg, PA
    • ,
  • Jody Steinauer, MD, MAS

      Affiliations

    • Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA

Received 23 April 2009; received in revised form 15 July 2009; accepted 17 August 2009.

Prominent racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in rates of unintended pregnancy, abortion, and unintended births exist in the United States. These disparities can contribute to the cycle of disadvantage experienced by specific demographic groups when women are unable to control their fertility as desired. In this review we consider 3 factors that contribute to disparities in family planning outcomes: patient preferences and behaviors, health care system factors, and provider-related factors. Through addressing barriers to access to family planning services, including abortion and contraception, and working to ensure that all women receive patient-centered reproductive health care, health care providers and policy makers can substantially improve the ability of women from all racial/ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds to make informed decisions about their fertility.

Key words: abortion, contraception, family planning, health disparities, unintended pregnancy

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 Supported by National Institutes of Health (NIH)/NCRR/OD UCSF-CTSI Grant no. KL2 RR024130. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.

PII: S0002-9378(09)00947-8

doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2009.08.022

Refers to article:

  • Cross-reference Health disparities: definitions and measurements

    Christine Dehlendorf, Allison S. Bryant, Heather G. Huddleston, Vanessa L. Jacoby, Victor Y. Fujimoto
    American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology March 2010 (Vol. 202, Issue 3, Pages 212-213)

American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Volume 202, Issue 3 , Pages 214-220, March 2010

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