A report summarizing the findings of in-depths interviews conducted with Members of Congress and their staff who were actively involved in the health care reform debate about their opinions about what factors influenced the debate and shaped their views. The report finds that, among media sources, talk radio had the greatest influence in the debate and that public opinion trailed only Administration failures in terms of perceived influence on the debate’s outcome.

• Report: Analysis of Texas Health Care Expenditures 1994-2000

Overwhelming Majority of Women Feel Most Men Are Not Responsible Enough For Preventing Unplanned Pregnancy

The Top Two Reasons Why: Men “Don’t Care” or Think It’s the Woman’s Responsibility

The Majority of Women Say They Alone Make Sure Birth Control Is Used

Embargoed For Release: 4:00 p.m. EST, Monday, May 22, 1995

For further information contact: Matt James Tina Hoff (415) 854-9400

Washington, D.C. — Three quarters (73%) of American women say most men are not responsible enough for preventing unplanned pregnancy — and, two thirds of men agree — with the leading reason being that most men “don’t care,” according to a new national survey of public knowledge and attitudes regarding contraception and unplanned pregnancy by the Kaiser Family Foundation. The survey was designed by the Kaiser Family Foundation and Louis Harris and Associates, and conducted by Louis Harris and Associates. It was released today at a seminar on “Men and Condom Use” as part of the Kaiser Family Foundation’s joint initiative with the American Enterprise Institute on “Sexuality and American Social Policy.”

The four top reasons given by Americans as to why they think most men are not responsible enough for preventing unplanned pregnancy are:

1. “[They] don’t care” (37% of women and 45% of men).

• “[They feel] it is the female’s responsibility” (30% women, 21% men);
• “[They can’t] become pregnant/not his body” (18% women, 9% men); and
• “[They don’t] think it matters” (7% women, 12% men).

In contrast to their views about men in general, a large majority of American women (82%) say their own most recent partner was “responsible enough” for preventing unplanned pregnancy. But when asked about actual behavior, the majority of women who use birth control (57%) say they alone are the one to make sure contraception is used. A third (35%) say the responsibility is shared with their partner. And, only 7 percent of women say their partner alone takes the responsibility.

“If we are to begin to reduce the numbers of unplanned pregnancies in this country, men (and women) must get beyond the notion that preventing unplanned pregnancy is only a woman’s responsibility,” said Drew E. Altman, President, Kaiser Family Foundation.

Contraceptive Decision Making

Who Talks About It? Nearly half (47%) of women who currently use birth control say they initiated the discussion about contraception with their most recent partner — another 40 percent say both they and their partner do, and only 7 percent say their partner did. Men are more likely to say they and their partner both initiate such discussions (39%). Almost equal percentages of men — about a quarter — say their partner does (27%) or they themselves do (26%).

Who Chooses? Six out of ten American women who currently use birth control say they alone chose the method (37 percent of men say their partner chose). Approximately a third of women and men say the choice of birth control is a joint one (30% and 32%, respectively). Although 28 percent of men say they alone chose the method of contraception they use, only 7 percent of women say their partner did.

Who Pays? Equal proportions of women — a third each — say either they pay for the birth control they use or the cost is shared with their partner. A quarter of women say their partner pays. Close to half of men (45%) say they pay for birth control, 27 percent say the cost is shared with their partner, and 20% say they alone pay. (9% of women and 7% of men say neither they nor their partner directly pay for birth control.)

The Facts About Unplanned Pregnancies in the United States

Previously released Kaiser Family Foundation survey findings indicate that Americans overwhelmingly believe unplanned pregnancy is a major problem facing this country. The facts on unplanned pregnancy are:

• Approximately 3.5 million unplanned pregnancies occur each year in the United States.
• Current estimates indicate that close to 60 percent of pregnancies and 40 percent of births among American women are unplanned.
• Women in the United States are twice as likely as women in Great Britain to face an unplanned pregnancy and three times as likely as women in the Netherlands to face an unplanned pregnancy.
• While slightly more than half of unplanned pregnancies in the United States occur among the 10 percent of women who do not use any contraception, 1.7 million (47%) occur among women who experience contraceptive failure or improperly use birth control.

Methodology:

The Kaiser Family Foundation Survey on Public Knowledge and Attitudes on Contraception and Unplanned Pregnancy was a random-sample, telephone survey of adults nationwide. The national sample consisted of 2,002 adults, 18 years and older, and was conducted between October 12 and November 13, 1994. The margin of error in the national sample is plus or minus 2 percent. The questions pertaining to contraceptive use draw from a sub-sample of the national population that currently uses birth control. The margin of error for this sample is plus or minus 3 percent.

Reports have been released to date from data collected in this survey on public knowledge and attitudes about abortion rates, teen sexuality and pregnancy, and emergency contraceptive pills. To receive summaries of any of these three reports, call the Kaiser Family Foundation publications request line at 1-800-956-4533.

The Kaiser Family Foundation, based in Menlo Park, California, is a non-profit, independent national health care philanthropy and is not associated with Kaiser Permanente or Kaiser Industries. The Foundation’s work is focused on four main areas: health policy, reproductive health, HIV, and health and development in South Africa.

Topline: Public Knowledge and Attitudes on Contraception and Unplanned Pregnancy: Men and Women

A report and press release summarizing the findings of 14 focus groups held in eight cities nationwide to explore the attitudes and experiences of Medicare beneficiaries in managed care programs, particularly health maintenance organizations (HMOs), and those with traditional fee-for-service coverage, as well as pre-Medicare beneficiaries aged 60-65. A fact sheet on Medicare and managed care is included.

This is a special issue of Health Services Research on the role of race and ethnicity in health services research. Based on a December 1992 conference sponsored by the Association of American Medical Colleges, the issue contains eight papers and as editorial preface by Mark Smith and Pancho Chang.

Note: This publication is no longer in circulation. However, a few copies may still exist in the Foundation’s internal library that could be xeroxed. Please email order@kff.org if you would like to pursue this option.”

This report reviews and synthesizes the literature from the past 20 years evaluating managed care’s impact on access, quality, beneficiary’s health status, and the cost of care for the Medicaid population.

• Report:

This policy brief focuses on access issues facing the low-income population generally and Medicaid beneficiaries specifically. The brief examines how well Medicaid beneficiaries have fared in obtaining access to care, the types of access barriers that confront Medicaid beneficiaries, and the issues and options for addressing these barriers.

• Policy Brief: Access To Care: Is Health Insurance Enough?

National Survey of Public Opinion on Welfare: Views of Americans With or Without Welfare Experience

A report from the Kaiser-Harvard program on the Public and Health/Social Policy on differences in opinions of Americans with welfare experience compared with those without such experience on the welfare system and welfare reform. This report represents further analysis of the Kaiser/Harvard random-sample national survey of 1200 adults, conducted December 27 and 29, 1994, on public knowledge and attitudes about welfare (see #1001).

Note: This publication is not available on our website. However, the data from these surveys is still available through the Public Opinion and Media Research Group. Please email kaiserpolls@kff.org for more information.

Kaiser Family Foundation Survey on Public Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding Contraception and Unplanned Pregnancy:

Emergency Contraceptive Pills

— Questionnaire and Top Lines —

The Kaiser Family Foundation Survey on Public Knowledge and Attitudes on Contraception and Unplanned Pregnancy was a random-sample, telephone survey of adults nationwide. The national sample consisted of 2,002 adults (1002 men and 1000 women), 18 years and older, and was conducted between October 12 and November 13, 1994. Responses for a sub-set of the national population — American women most likely to experience an unplanned pregnancy, defined as those who are sexually active, fertile (and whose partners are fertile), and not pregnant or trying to get pregnant (270 out of the 1000 women surveyed) — are also referenced below. The margin of error in the national sample is plus or minus 2 percent. The margin of error among the sub-set of women at-risk is plus or minus 6 percent.

Q1. If a woman has just had sex and thinks she might become pregnant, is there anything that she could do in the next few days to prevent pregnancy, or not?

National Women at Risk Yes, there is something 36% 32% No, there is not anything 47% 64% Too late to prevent pregnancy (vol.) 1% * Not sure 17% 4% Q2. Have you ever heard of morning-after pills, also called emergency contraceptive pills, or not?

National Women at Risk Yes, have heard of it 54% (Ask Q3) 60% No, have not heard of it 45% (Skip to Q5) 40% Not sure * * Q3. How soon after sexual intercourse do morning-after pills have to be taken — immediately, within 12 hours, within 24 hours, within 72 hours, or within one week?

National Women at Risk Immediately 10% 12% Within 12 hours 31% 30% Within 24 hours 28% 30% Within 72 hours 9% 12% Within one week 5% 5% Not sure 16% 11% Q4. (Ask Females: Have you/ Ask Males: Has your current or most recent partner) ever used morning-after pills, or not?

National Women at Risk Yes, have taken 1% 1% No, have not taken 98% 99% Not sure 1% *

Q5. Ask Everyone: (Read intro if never heard of morning-after pill if Q.J2; Morning-after pills are a particular kind of birth control pills that are taken after sexual intercourse. If several of the pills are taken at the same time within 72 hours of sex, they may reduce the chance of pregnancy by up to 75%.)

From what you know about morning-after pills, would you say (you/your current or recent partner) would be very likely, somewhat likely, or not at all likely to take them if you had unprotected sex and wanted to prevent pregnancy?

National Women at Risk Very likely 23% 22% Somewhat likely 20% 25% Not at all likely 47% 52% Not applicable (vol) 7% * Not sure 3% 1% Q6. Do you think morning-after pills should be widely available, like condoms or tightly controlled like drugs that require a prescription from you doctor?

National Women at Risk Widely available 37% 31% Tightly controlled 58% 66% Not sure 5% 3% Q7. Would a method of birth control that is taken soon after intercourse, such as morning-after pills, pose ethical concerns for you, or not?

National Women at Risk Yes, would pose concerns 36% 47% No, would not 61% 50% Not sure 3% 2%

Now I’d like to ask you a few questions about your discussions with health care professionals. (If Necessary: If any question is not applicable to you, please say so, and we’ll move past it.)

Q8. In the past two years, have you discussed birth control such as the use of condoms or birth control pills with your doctor or another health professional, or not?

National Women at Risk Yes, discussed 21% (Skip to Q10) 73% No, did not discuss 71% (Ask Q9) 26% Not applicable (vol.) 9% (Skip to Q11) 1% Not sure * * Q9. Have you ever discussed birth control with a doctor or another health professional, or not?

National Women at Risk Yes, discussed 38% (Ask Q10) 74% No, never discussed 61% (Skip to Q11) 26% Not applic (vol.) 1% (Skip to Q11) * Not sure * * Q10. Has a doctor ever been the one to raise the subject of birth control, or not?

National Women at Risk Yes, doctor raised subject 32% 45% Doctor did not 67% 54% Not sure 1% 1% Q11. People can get information about birth control from a variety of sources. What sources would you say that you most typically rely on for information about birth control? What else? (Do not read list — Multiple Record)

National Women at Risk a. Your family 9% N/A b. Health care professionals 63% c. Your friends or peers 12% d. Health and sex education courses in school 8% e. Television 11% f. Magazines 20% g. Your spouse or partner 2% Not sure 13% Other 3%

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Survey on OB/GYN Practice/Attitudes on Emergency Contraceptives:Press Release Survey Policy Brief

Note: This publication is not available on our website. However, the data from these surveys is still available through the Public Opinion and Media Research Group. Please email kaiserpolls@kff.org for more information.