The finding surprised researchers

May 7, 2010 07:31 GMT  ·  By

For a very long time, researchers and the general public have believed that women tend to be fairly decided on whether or not they want children. In other words, they either do or they don't, depending on a host of factors. But one thing was thought certain, and namely the fact that women of childbearing age knew what they wanted. However, a new investigation now puzzles scientists, showing that at least 25 percent of all women in the United States are ambivalent about getting pregnant. This means that they do not necessarily pursue this actively, but that they don't steer clear of it either.

The new research defines these women as those saying it's “OK either way,” when it comes to getting pregnant. An important discovery was also the fact that more of these ambivalent women tended to have deeper religious views than the average. Those who did not necessarily believe in a higher power were more likely to be more determined as to whether they want children or not. The investigation may bear considerable implications to the way healthcare experts and doctors care for women, and also on the way they counsel those asking for their help.

“If healthcare providers only ask women if they are currently trying to get pregnant and women say 'no,' then the assumption is that they are trying not to get pregnant. Clearly, many women are less intentional about pregnancy. Yet this group should be treated as if they will likely conceive and should therefore get recommendations such as ensuring adequate folic acid intake and limiting alcohol intake,” explains University of Nebraska-Lincoln professor of sociology Julia McQuillan, who was also the lead researcher on the new study. Details of the work are scheduled for publication in a forthcoming issue of the esteemed Maternal and Child Health Journal.

The findings are in tune with statistics released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in a 2001 report, which show that a whooping 50 percent or more of all pregnancies recorded in the United States are unintentional. “This finding dramatically challenges the idea that women are always trying, one way or another, to either get pregnant or not get pregnant. It also shows that women who are OK either way should be assessed separately from women who are intentional about pregnancy,” McQuillan concludes, quoted by LiveScience.