Status of unintended pregnancy (UP) and contraceptive needs of childbearing age women in Chengdu city

Objectives To assess the prevalence and associated factors of unintended pregnancy (UP) and explore the contraceptive needs among women of childbearing age in the main urban areas of Chengdu. Methods We conducted a questionnaire survey in five main urban areas of Chengdu. The survey employed a stratified two-stage sampling technique. Descriptive analysis and univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to analyze the relationship between the UP and independent variables. In the multivariable analysis, an adjusted odds ratio(aOR) with a 95% confidence interval(CI) was reported to indicate statistical association. Results 1289 women aged 15–44 years were randomly selected and 1230 women completed the survey. Among the respondents, 24.1% had experienced UP. Married women had a 1.665 times higher odds of UP but the risk of UP was 0.528 times lower for 21-25-year-old women. Women with a university or higher level of education were less likely to report UP whereas those with a male partner from a rural area were more likely to report UP. Women with a male partner having a junior college, university or higher education background were less likely to report UP. More than half of the respondents had never received contraceptive education. Almost three in five of the respondents did not receive adequate contraceptive education, 70.41% of the respondents were very willing to accept professional contraceptive guidance. Conclusions Age, marital status, education level of females, and education level and birthplace of their sexual partners are influencing factors for UP among childbearing-aged women in Chengdu. Reproductive health guidance and policies are warranted to reduce the rate of UP in Chengdu.