Numerator: Number of women* reporting mistimed or unwanted pregnancy

Denominator:  Number of women giving birth in California

Definition: Mistimed or unwanted pregnancy: Just before pregnancy, she felt that she did not want to get pregnant or wanted to get pregnant later.

*CDPH recognizes that not everyone who experiences pregnancy or gives birth identifies as a woman.

An unintended pregnancy is one that occurred when a woman wanted to become pregnant in the future but not at the time she became pregnant ("wanted later") or one that occurred when she did not want to become pregnant then or at any time in the future ("unwanted").

PREGNANCY INCIDENCE

The unintended pregnancy rate is significantly higher in the United States than in many other developed countries.³

DEMOGRAPHIC DIFFERENCES

Understanding the data helps to identify where to focus policy and programmatic interventions, and highlights areas of inequality.

• Unintended pregnancy rates are highest among low-income women (i.e., women with incomes less than 200% of the federal poverty level), women aged 18–24, cohabiting women and women of color.² Rates tend to be lowest among higher-income women (at or above 200% of poverty), white women, college graduates and married women.
• The rate of unintended pregnancy among women with incomes less than 100% of the poverty was 112 per 1,000 in 2011, more than five times the rate among women with incomes of at least 200% of poverty (20 per 1,000 women). ²

Source: http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/family-planning

Internal partners:

• California Department of Health Care Services
• California Department of Social Services
• California Department of Education

External partners:

• Local Health Jurisdictions
• Health care providers
• Community based organizations
• Title X partners

• Publicly funded family planning services help women avoid pregnancies they do not want and plan pregnancies they do want. 
• Access to contraception that includes the full range of methods, such as long-acting, and reversible forms like intrauterine devices and hormonal implants.
• Evidence based adolescent pregnancy and prevention programs.

Adolescent Family Life Program 

Family PACT

Information and Education Program