# Pregnancy Context and Health Outcomes

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · 2022 · $475,978

## Abstract

Project summary
The objective of this project is to examine the health consequences of unintended pregnancy and denial of
legal pregnancy termination services in Nepal on women and their children. Births following unwanted
pregnancies can be associated with negative physical, social and economic consequences for both the woman
and child. Half of all unintended pregnancies are terminated before they are carried to term and, when
performed in unsafe or illegal conditions, the consequences can include infection, infertility, and death. The
incidence of mortality and morbidity from termination are notoriously difficult to measure. Widespread stigma
associated with unwanted pregnancy – even in settings in which termination is legally available – contribute to
misreporting, concealment, and misattribution of termination-related morbidity and mortality. In addition, many
women seek illegal methods—both safe and unsafe—which further confounds efforts to measure the
prevalence of mortality and morbidity from terminations. The effects of unwanted pregnancy on children,
including children born prior to and subsequent to the unwanted pregnancy, are also not well established. A
prospective longitudinal study of women with unwanted pregnancies is required to validly investigate the health
consequences for women and their families of termination outside of the legal system and delivery of an
unwanted pregnancy, as compared to legal termination. Such a study is only possible in places like Nepal,
where termination is legal but barriers prevent some women from receiving the service.
Aim 1: To investigate the predictors of denial of legal pregnancy termination services.
Aim 2: To assess the health consequences of childbirth and illegal termination for women after denial of legal
termination
Aim 3: To measure the effects of legal and illegal termination compared to birth on the health and development
of women’s existing and subsequent children
Prospective longitudinal data from women in a less developed country would provide valuable evidence for the
development of programs and policies globally to improve access to and utilization of safe termination services
where they are legal, and harm reduction services for women who are unable to access services.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10447124
- **Project number:** 5R01HD095181-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO
- **Principal Investigator:** Diana Greene Foster
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $475,978
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-10 → 2024-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10447124

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10447124, Pregnancy Context and Health Outcomes (5R01HD095181-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10447124. Licensed CC0.

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