The revived family planning programme of the Islamic Republic of Iran has been exceptionally successful by international standards. The contraceptive prevalence rate has risen to around 74 per cent according to the Iran Demographic and Health Survey conducted in 2000. A wide ranges of modern methods, including male and female sterilization, has been made available in both urban and rural areas. The wide gap between urban and rural areas has also been narrowed considerably. Despite this high level of contraceptive use, there have been indications of unintended pregnancies, suggesting the existence of unmet contraceptive needs among couples in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Given the evidence of unmet needs, a study focusing on this issue would contribute to the quality of service delivery in this fast moving programme and also contribute to diminishing the social and psychological consequences of unwanted births. The present study uses a large dataset from the 2000 Iran Demographic and Health Survey (IDHS) to explore the levels and correlates of unwanted pregnancies. Unfortunately, the 2000 IDHS did not include sufficient questions in order to measure unmet need. Thus the focus of the present study concerns only unintended pregnancy. (excerpt) - See more at: http://www.popline.org/node/233988#sthash.sXnuVf9x.dpuf