Sexual and Reproductive Health: Growing Disparities

Lawrence B. Finer, Ph.D.Director of Domestic Research

Guttmacher Exchange • November 16, 2010

About half of U.S. pregnancies are still unintended

Births

Abortions

Fetal Losses

Unintended49%

Intended51%

Unintended pregnancies are concentrated among poor women

Income level Rate of unintended pregnancy (2001)

<100% of poverty 132

100-199% 70

200%+ 27

The 16% of women at risk of unintended pregnancy who are poor …

… account for 30% of unintended pregnancies

Poor women account for a third of unintended pregnancies

US abortion rates continue to decline, but more slowly

The poorest women have the highest abortion rates

% of poverty level

Abortions per 1,000

The need for subsidized contraception is growing in the U.S.

15.1

16.5

16.4

17.4

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

1990

1995

2000

2008

Millions

Women in need of public services All Women In Need

30.5

33.2

34.0

36.2

Because of the economy, many women want to reduce/delay childbearing

Because of the recession, more women want contraception and fewer can afford it

Family planning clinic costs are rising significantly

• Costs for publicly-funded family planning services have increased 27% between 2004 and 2008 – $203 per client in 2004 – $257 per client in 2008

• Family planning services are still a bargain, returning $3.74 in pregnancy-related Medicaid savings for each $1 spent on contraceptive services

Family planning providers are between a rock and a hard place

For more information, visit www.guttmacher.org