Are Latina Women Ambivalent About Pregnancies They are Using Contraception to Prevent? Evidence from the Border Contraceptive Access Study

Trussell et al.’s provocative analysis of women’s classifications of contraceptive failures from the 1995 NSFG found inconsistent retrospective reporting of intentions and feelings. Looking to the 2006-2010 NSFG, we find that such incongruent reporting of happiness about pregnancies resulting from contraceptive failure is more prevalent among Latina women. Is this a function of ambivalence about avoiding pregnancy, retrospective bias, or a meaningful distinction between happiness and intention?
Using prospective data from the Border Contraceptive Access Study, we shed new light on Trussell et al.’s apparent paradox. We find that incongruent happiness and intention, rather than constituting ambivalence, reflect distinct concepts for Latinas. Wanting no more pregnancies, and using contraception to implement such intentions is not incompatible with positive feelings about pregnancy, and such happiness may reflect cultural influence, and the impact of pregnancy on relationship wellbeing. Retrospectively reported intentions show considerable bias, but the majority of retrospective happiness is consistent with prospective feelings, suggesting that happiness is not merely an artifact of retrospective reporting. Findings have implications for the meaning and measurement of unintended pregnancy in national surveys like NSFG and PRAMS.