EXTERNALLY FUNDED RESEARCH PROJECTS

Risk factors for unplanned pregnancy: Legal policy health responses

The aim of this study is to better understand the links between unplanned pregnancy and risk factors such as domestic violence and sexual assault so that legal, health and policy responses can be improved. Through the analysis of a data-set held by a Brisbane based not-for-profit organisation, Children by Choice, this project will explore the prevalence of a range of risk factors for women in Australia experiencing unplanned pregnancy. Specifically, risk factors of domestic violence, sexual assault, use of drugs and alcohol and mental health issues will be explored. The study will investigate whether there are differences between adolescent and adult mothers, whether Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women or women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds report different experiences to other women, as well as whether there have been any changes to trends (prevalence and risk factors) over the past nine years. Further, the study will explore the connection between the risk factors mentioned above and poverty and pregnancy terminations for a subset of women who received financial grants from Children by Choice to procure a termination in the past two years (2015 to 2017). The project will make recommendations for legal, policy and health system reform.

Project contact
Professor Heather Douglas
The University of Queensland

Funding Body
Busines, Economics and Law Faculty, University of Queensland

Project start & end dates
January 2018 to December 2018