Recent surveys suggest some couples are delaying having a baby because of the poor economy and lack of job security or unemployment. But the recession may lead to more unintended pregnancies too. A survey released this week shows some women are abandoning their contraceptives or switching to less expensive, less reliable methods because of cost or lack of insurance coverage.
The Gallup survey found 6 percent of women of child-bearing age had quit using a hormonal form of birth control, such as the pill, because they could not afford it.
Ten percent said they were worried about their ability to keep paying for contraception. Some said they had switched methods because of cost.
The survey was commissioned by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and released at the organization’s annual meeting in Chicago.
