Has the economy affected the timing of your pregnancy or your ob/gyn care?

A Gallup poll released this week found that the downturn in the economy is changing the timing of pregnancies, the size of families and even the annual ob/gyn exams that are so critical to a woman's health. The survey, which was conducted for The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), interviewed 1,031 women ages 18-44. Some of the results:

* 14% said the economy is making them delay enlarging their family. Among married women, the number went up to 17%.

* 33% of single women are more concerned about an unplanned pregnancy than they were a year ago, and 32% say they are more conscientious about using birth control to avoid one.

*14% of women -- one in 7 -- has postponed their annual gynecological exam due to the economy.
* 15% have cut back or stopped medication due to cost.

"While almost all Americans are feeling the pinch, the survey findings clearly indicate that women are feeling the impact in the most personal and intimate areas of their life. Decisions about sex and family planning are at the core of a woman's well being and will have lasting repercussions over her entire lifespan," said Douglas H. Kirkpatrick, MD, and the president of ACOG.

To read the entire study, go here:

http://www.acog.org/from_home/publications/press_releases/nr05-05-09-1.cfm

What about you? Has the economy affected your plans for a pregnancy, or your ob/gyn care? Please tell us. This is the kind of issue EmpowHer is extremely interested in.

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• Pregnancy
• Reproductive System
• Pregnancy