A survey of 967 married women from Misamis Oriental, Philippines was conducted to examine pregnancy as a reproductive experience that may either be status-enhancing or status-degrading. In the study, pregnancy status was defined as a social position located within a set of relationships. The position involved ranking based on its importance to the society. Pregnancy status was said to be derived from the woman’s relationships with significant others as well as self definition.

Findings from multivariate analyses indicated that four variables were significantly related to pregnancy status. These were: (1) number of live births; (2) modern role orientation; (3) woman’s educational attainment; and (4) age. Women who were younger and who have fewer children were found to have a higher regard for pregnancy as status-enhancing. Those who have less education and more traditional role orientation also reported higher pregnancy status evaluation. Although residence and socio-economic status were not highly correlated with pregnancy status, the analyses showed that respondents who came from rural areas and from lower socio-economic classes were more likely to perceive pregnancy as status-enhancing than those from urban areas and from higher socio- economic classes. Interestingly, women who have been married for more years, while controlling for their educational attainment and residence, were also found to have a higher regard for pregnancy while reporting higher number of unwanted births. However, when number of live births was considered, the negative relationship prevailed between marriage duration and pregnancy status. With such factors as number of live births, length of marriage, woman's educational attainment, and residence introduced in the final path model, the effect of pregnancy status on the woman's expressed number of unwanted births was analyzed.

Findings from Linear Structural Relations (LISREL) analyses revealed that while number of live births was the most important indicator of unwanted births, pregnancy status also contributed to unwanted births as a direct and mediating factor. It is suggested that a woman’s perception of pregnancy as status-enhancing or degrading be considered as a supplementary factor in explaining fertility behavior. Since the present study is an initial effort to provide guidelines, further research is needed.