Toward the Reduction of Unwanted Pregnancy

Abstract

Fertility attitudes and practices and problems of controlling fertility in the U.S. are presented and the adequacy of current public and private efforts to deal with these problems is discussed. In general all American couples have similar fertility values and use some contraception but the poor are the least successful in practicing effective contraception. The following current program objectives are discussed: improved contraceptive technology increased involvement of private physicians expansion of education programs removal of remaining policy and cultural barriers repeal of abortion laws increased availability of voluntary sterilization creation of an adequate network of family planning services increased public funding and higher priority for family planning. An assessment of present attempts to meet these needs reveals that more time attention energy and funds are necessary to deal with these objectives if voluntary fertility control is to be effective in the U.S.