The Results Are In.

For five years we have been exploring how to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies among Iowa women ages 18-30. Here are the preliminary results:

Clinic Research – Improving Access

What would happen if Iowa's Title X clinics were more adequately funded? What if they could expand their hours, open a satellite clinic, or do more advertising and outreach? What if they could hire more nurses or an interpreter? And what if we reduced or eliminated the cost of the more expensive - but most effective - forms of birth control, long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs)? That’s what the Iowa Initiative wanted to find out: here is a summary of key preliminary findings of the clinic research and a video of the presentation by the external evaluation team.

Intervention Research

The Iowa Initiative Research Program set out to better understand the issues related to contraceptive knowledge, attitudes, and behavior and to reduce unintended pregnancies. The program conducted four different public health interventions between 2008 and 2012. These interventions were designed to educate women 18-30 on family planning options and resources, motivate responsible behavior, encourage planning, and reduce unintended pregnancies among those who did not wish to be pregnant.
Here is a summary of the results and a video explaining the Iowa Initiative Research Program.

Percent of Unintended Pregnancies in Iowa by Year

Click here for key findings.
For the Media: A comprehensive press packet is available here.

The Iowa Initiative office is closed effective January 1, 2013. This website will remain live until December 4, 2013. For the latest results and reports, please visit Philliber Research Associates, the Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health, and the Center for Social and Behavioral Research.

Iowa women explain why they chose a LARC, and the difference it makes in their lives.
What can I do to
reduce the number of unintended pregnancies?