Health

CONTRACEPTIVE FAILURE CAUSED UNPLANNED PREGNANCY

Tuesday, 15 November 2022
By Muhammad Syazwan

Unplanned pregnancy is a circumstance in which a couple who did not intend to have a child is abruptly confronted with the news, due to contraceptive failure or biological factors.

Based on a study published in the Global Journal and of Health Science, 42.9 percent of recent pregnancies in Malaysia are unplanned and the study also mentioned this primarily affects elderly moms from low-income households.

According to Dr Fatin Athirah, Medical Officer (MO) at Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan (HTAA) Kuantan, the reasons why some people may become pregnant despite their desire to avoid pregnancy, are due to the lack of awareness about contraceptive methods and a failure to follow prescribed procedures.

“Unplanned pregnancies are most often the result of underprivileged families or those who have not learned the basics.

“Also, we usually will offer some advice on family planning to young couples based on their financial situation and preparedness to have a child,” she said.

Charts show the Overview of Unintended Pregnancies and

The Status of Contraception in Malaysia.

(Source: Malaysia Medical Association)

“As a medical profession, we will usually advise having a gap between the first child and the next child that is not less than two years. This is to ensure that there are no complications and to avoid health risks,” she explained.

“But for those who plan not to have one and suddenly get one, this is generally related to their knowledge of the contraception method.

“Sometimes, they have limited knowledge of this method and do not know how contraception works and even if they use pills, they might miss it one day, resulting in the pregnancy process continuing without them knowing,” she added.

Contraceptive pills, usually used by those who don’t want to conceive a child.

(Source: areeya_ann/Shutterstock.com)

Dr. Fatin also said some people may not know the long-term planning method such as inserting contraceptive devices into the vaginal area or using Implanon (a small rod, the size of a matchstick that releases hormones) that will be injected under the skin.

“Most of the time, these types of patients usually come with a child with a one year gap, because they cannot understand and decide to do it by themselves, which usually fails. To counter this problem, we will provide new mothers with sessions regarding this method.

Planning your pregnancy will give you time to spend with family, creating greater bonds.

(Sources: Migs Reyes)

“In my opinion, the effects of unplanned pregnancy vary by the family situation and dynamic in terms of how they want it. For families that have social problems (monetary and related), we usually advise them to do planned pregnancy which is having a baby after three to four years,” she added.

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