Abstract
BACKGROUND: Despite widespread access to contraception, it is observed that women without pregnancy intention do not use contraception and become pregnant. AIM OF THIS PAPER: The analyses conducted in this paper aim to assess the prevalence of the phenomenon of non-use of contraception for Germany and to gain a better understanding of the reasons why women risk unintended pregnancy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using quantitative survey data on 17,400 pregnancies and 116 open qualitative interviews from the study "Women's lives 3: Family planning in women's lives" conducted on behalf of the Federal Centre for Health Education (BZgA), statements can be made on the prevalence of non-use of contraceptive methods despite a lack of pregnancy intention and on the underlying reasons. RESULTS: The reasons given for not using contraception can be assigned to three very different motives: a) playing with a desire to have children, which is mentioned by just under one third; b) individual and structural barriers, such as health reservations or too high costs; and c) not using contraception because of the erroneous assumption of not being able to get pregnant. It can be seen that these motives vary in prevalence depending on the biographical situation. DISCUSSION: The results point to the need for a more differentiated understanding of unintended pregnancies in both research and prevention. A limitation and thus a need for future research is that the influence of the (sexual) partner on the contraceptive behaviour of women and on the intentionality of the pregnancy cannot be examined within the framework of the study.