Accuracy of Unwanted Pregnancy Measure: A Check Using Women’s Fertility Intentions

Latifat D. G. Ibisomi, University of the Witwatersrand

Unwanted pregnancy is a widely used reproductive health indicator. It is generally believed to be under-estimated as some pregnancies that were unwanted at conception may later be reported as wanted. We argue in this paper that the measure could actually be an over-estimate due to misunderstanding of the question on pregnancy wantedness. Using DHS data for Nigeria, Kenya, and Zimbabwe, we examine the relationship between the reported wantedness of recent births/pregnancies and women’s fertility intentions. Results show a mismatch in the two variables. The proportion of women who report that they both experienced an unwanted pregnancy and want/are undecided about having another child generally decreases with age and number of living children. This implies misunderstanding of the question as women who are younger and have fewer children are more likely than their counterparts to want more children. The need to refine the DHS-type question for the measure is discussed.