PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE AND PERCEPTIONS ABOUT UNPLANNED PREGNANCY AND CONTRACEPTION IN 3 COUNTRIES

A 1994-1995 survey of men and women aged 18-44 in the United States, C anada and the Netherlands revealed considerable differences in public knowledge and perceptions about unplanned pregnancy and contraception. The proportion who believe that unplanned pregnancy is a ''very big p roblem'' is 60% in the United States, 36% in Canada and 6% in the Neth erlands. Americans are more likely than their Canadian or Dutch counte rparts to cite societal problems as significant factors in the rate of unplanned pregnancy; higher proportions of Americans also cite the co st of contraceptives (52% vs. 46% of Canadians and 34% of Dutch men an d women) and an inability to obtain methods (66%, 51% and 33%, respect ively). In all three countries, adults are generally well informed abo ut the relative effectiveness of commonly used contraceptives, but Ame ricans are more skeptical about method safety and effectiveness. For e xample, 17% think the pill is ''very safe,'' compared with 21% of Cana dians and 40% of the Dutch; and whereas 64% of Americans consider the pill ''very effective,'' 73% of Canadians and 90% of Dutch men and wom en give it this rating. Health care professionals are the most frequen tly cited source of contraceptive information, but only 51-63% of adul ts have ever discussed contraception with such a practitioner.