Journal of North Khorasan

Abstract Background & Objectives: An approximately one third of pregnancies are unwanted, and half of them will lead to abortion. The present study was conducted to assess the prevalence of unwanted pregnancies and its related factors in women at Mashhad city. Materials and Methods: This study was carried out on 100 mothers who referred to health centers of Mashhad, and they were selected with cluster randomization . Data was collected by valid and reliable questionnaire.Results were analyzed in spss11/5. Results: The prevalence of unwanted pregnancy was estimated to be 29/5 percent and 28.3 of this women with unwanted prognancy had a tendency to abortion. The cause of unplanned pregnancy at 48/4% was Sufficient number of children and 29% was inappropriate. There was a significant relationship between unwanted pregnancy whit educational level of the couples, so that the incidence of unwanted pregnancy in women and their husbans who had university education was higher than at other women (P <0.05). There was a significant relationship between unwanted pregnancy whit occupation’s mother, age and number of children,so that prevalence of unwanted pregnancy in working mothers with higher than 35 years and had 3 or more children was higher than the other women(P <0.05). Conclusion: Prevalence of unwanted pregnancies was one-third of all pregnancies. These results showed that extending of the education programs about contraceptive methods and disadvantages of unwanted pregnancy especially for working women with higher education level and older age is necessary