Women need to plan how many children they intend to have their entire life, a new report from an OBGYN practitioners association recommends.
A new committee opinion released by the Association Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AGOG) says that each visit at an OBGYN must include discussion about reproductive plans for life.
The group defines “reproductive life plan” as “a set of personal goals regarding whether, when, and how to have children based on individual priorities, resources, and values.”
Each year, approximately 51 percent of pregnancies in the United States are unplanned. There are serious repercussions obviously from unplanned pregnancies, but the group understands that limited access to contraception, inconsistent use of protection, or even lack of education.
So doctor visits open up an opportune time for education.
The group recommends that medical professionals offer contraceptive advice, share information about all available contraceptive methods, educate women on the importance of child spacing, make women aware of affordable contraceptive options and support initiatives that break down racial, socio economical and ethnic inequalities that contribute to unplanned pregnancy rates.
They also need to make sure women have an understanding about spacing pregnancies as well.
ACOG recommends that each woman think about not just a short-term plan, but a long-term roadmap as well.