Unintended Pregnancy among Sexual Minority Women in the U.S.

Caroline Sten Hartnett, University of South Carolina
Katrina M. Walsemann, University of South Carolina
Lisa Lindley, George Mason University

Unintended pregnancies are common in the U.S. (accounting for half of pregnancies) and are associated with various negative health and well-being outcomes for mothers and children. Despite research finding that sexual minority women have higher rates of teenage pregnancy and risky behaviors, no prior studies have investigated unintended pregnancy among sexual minority women of reproductive age (15-44) using a large nationally-representative data set. We use the National Survey of Family Growth to identify whether sexual minority women are at elevated risk for unintended pregnancies.