Prenatal Incarceration Exposure and Postpartum Contraceptive Use: Findings from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of the current study was to assess whether prenatal incarceration exposure is associated with postpartum contraceptive use.

STUDY

DESIGN

Using pooled cross-sectional data from Phase 8 (2016-2021) of the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (n = 111,616) from 26 sites (25 states and New York City), we examined associations between incarceration exposure (i.e., direct or vicarious through husband/partner) in the 12 months before birth and postpartum contraceptive use. We estimated survey-weighted bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses to examine associations between prior incarceration and type of contraceptive use.

RESULTS

Overall, 2.7% of respondents reported personal or vicarious incarceration exposure via a spouse or partner, and 82.9% of respondents reported postpartum contraceptive use. Respondents exposed to incarceration had lower odds of using any postpartum contraception compared to those without exposure (aOR = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.60-0.78). Incarceration exposure was associated with a lower odds of condom use among those using contraception (aOR = 0.84, 95% CI = 0.72-0.98) and a higher odds of abstinence (aOR = 1.61, 95% CI = 1.36-1.91).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings demonstrate the need for coordinated efforts across medical, public health, and criminal justice systems to improve postpartum contraceptive support for individuals affected by incarceration.