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

Contraceptive Use and Decision Making: The Role of Men

— 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 by Louis Harris and Associates, Inc. The margin of error in the national sample is plus or minus 2 percent.

(Ask Q1a if sexually active — ask everyone Q1b)

Q1. Do you think that (read each item; do not rotate) for preventing unplanned pregnancy, or not?

National Yes No Not Applicable (vol.) Not Sure a. Your current or most recent partner was responsible enough 84% 11% 4% 1% b. Most men are responsible enough 28% 70% * 2%

Men Yes No Not Applicable (vol.) Not Sure a. Your current or most recent partner was responsible enough 87% 7% 5% 1% b. Your current or most recent partner was responsible enough 32% 66% * 1%

Women Yes No Not Applicable (vol.) Not Sure a. Your current or most recent partner was responsible enough 82% 15% 3% * b. Your current or most recent partner was responsible enough 24% 73% * 3%

If “no” to Q1 item b, ask Q2 — all others, skip to Q3

Q2. Why do you think most men are not involved in preventing unplanned pregnancy?

(Multiple record)

National Men Women Female takes responsibility 4% 3% 6% He feels it’s female’s responsibility 26% 21% 30% He doesn’t care 41% 45% 37% He doesn’t think it matters 9% 12% 7% He is not educated 4% 3% 4% He doesn’t become pregnant/not his body 14% 9% 18% He wants to have a baby * He doesn’t think partner needs birth control 1% * 1% Not sure 4% Other 2%

Q3. Who (read each item; rotate) — you or your current or most recent partner?

National Respondent Partner Shared (Vol.) Neither (vol.) Not Sure a. Pays/paid for birth control 40% 22% 30% 7% 1% b. Makes/made sure that birth control is/was used 39% 19% 39% 1% 2% c. Initiates/initiated discussions about birth control 36% 18% 39% 5% 2% d. Chooses/chose the type of birth control 43% 23% 31% 2% 1%

Men Respondent Partner Shared (Vol.) Neither (vol.) Not Sure a. Pays/paid for birth control 45% 20% 27% 6% 2% b. Makes/made sure that birth control is/was used 24% 35% 42% 1% 3% c. Initiates/initiated discussions about birth control 26% 27% 39% 6% 2% d. Chooses/chose the type of birth control 28% 37% 32% 2% 1%

Women Respondent Partner Shared (Vol.) Neither (vol.) Not Sure a. Pays/paid for birth control 33% 25% 33% 9% * b. Makes/made sure that birth control is/was used 57% 7% 35% 1% 1% c. Initiates/initiated discussions about birth control 47% 7% 40% 5% 1% d. Chooses/chose the type of birth control 60% 7% 30% 1% *

94-1427-04b

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Survey on Public Knowledge and Attitudes on Contraception and Unplanned Pregnancy:Press Release Survey

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.

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.

This overview report is the first in a series prepared for the Kaiser Family Foundation by the Barents Group to study current — and future — health care spending and coverage in three key states: New York, California, and Texas. It provides a comprehensive picture of health care spending and coverage today in these states as well as a forecast of what is likely to happen in each by the year 2000. The model designed for this report can also be used to estimate and analyze the impact of specific reforms on these states. Copies of the reports for each individual states are also available: Analysis of California Health Care Expenditures: 1994-2000 (#1059); Analysis of New York Health Care Expenditures: 1994-2000 (#1060); and Analysis of Texas Health Care Expenditures: 1994-2000 (#1061).

• Report: Health Insurance Coverage and Health Expenditure Trends In California, New York, and Texas

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

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

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?

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 examines the projected impact of a 5% expenditure growth cap on Medicaid expenditures over the period 1996 to 2002. It highlights the differential implications that would result under this type of proposal.

• Policy Brief: The Impact of a Five Percent Medicaid Expenditure Growth Cap, A State Level Analysis