I quote from the latest news update released by the Guttmacher Institute.

“One-third of U.S. pregnancies occur within 18 months of a previous birth, according to “Short Interpregnancy Intervals in the United States,” by Laura Lindberg of the Guttmacher Institute et al., while 50% occurred within 18–59 months, and 16% occurred at 60 or more months. Short birth spacing, which was measured as 18 months or less, was found to be strongly linked to unintended pregnancies, and being between 15 and 19 years old at the time of conception.

family-640x480Previous research has shown that short spacing between pregnancies can lead to harmful outcomes for mothers, such as preeclampsia, and for newborns, such as being born preterm or with low birth weight. Additionally, the federal Healthy People 2020 initiative aims to reduce by 10% the number of pregnancies that occur within 18 months of a previous birth. Lindberg explains that preventing this short spacing is thus a public health priority in the United States, and estimates that reducing unintended pregnancies could reduce shortly spaced births from 35% to 23%, a feat that would benefit the health of both the mother and the newborn.

“Pregnancy intervals of more than 18 months are considered optimal birth spacing, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and others,” said Lindberg. “Helping women plan and space their pregnancies through greater contraceptive access can lead to better outcomes for both mother and infant.” The researchers identify long-acting reversible contraceptives, such as IUDs, as particularly well-suited to increasing the space between pregnancies.”

    Look what happens when science and social science intersect.  Better outcomes for women and children – why?  Because women can choose when and when not be pregnant.  This is what the point so many forced birth advocates miss – the person who is pregnant  knows what is best for her and her family and, given proper access to reproductive services, can plan for the best possible conditions for herself and her children.

     Contrast this with the christian business uproar over providing contraceptives for sluts! women and how tragically unfair it is to their jebus-based-bullshite.

     Religion continues to poison everything it touches, but we already knew that.