In 2000, about 20,000 Rhode Island women of childbearing age – roughly 1 in 10 – became pregnant.

During 2002-2003, 36 percent of Rhode Island births resulted from unintended pregnancies. According to state Department of Health findings, 29 percent of those childbearing women said they wanted to become pregnant, but at a later time, and 7 percent said they did not want to become pregnant at any time.

Among women with an unintended pregnancy, 53 percent were not using contraception at the time of conception, according to the Women’s Fund study. Of all the pregnancies during that period, 61 percent resulted in live births, 24 percent resulted in abortions and 15 percent ended in miscarriage.

There’s plenty more in the study to discuss. Participants who join the Webinar are asked to put their phones on mute so participants don’t hear background noise from multiple participants. People will have an opportunity to submit questions to the panelists via their computers.

Those presenting the Webinar are Miriam Inocencio, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Rhode Island; Jennifer Lawless, assistant professor of political science and public policy at Brown University and a recent candidate for U.S. Congress; and Carroll Medeiros, an obstetrician-gynecologist at Women and Infants’ Hospital and clinical assistant professor at Brown University.