Rates of labor induction are on the rise in the United States. There are a few reasons for this, including a growing number of women having high-risk pregnancies and more frequent use of labor induction for non-medical or social reasons (sometimes referred to as elective induction).

There is confusion and disagreement about the safety and appropriate use of labor induction. As a result, some care providers and hospitals use it more often than others. Even the results of research studies on labor induction provide conflicting answers. All the confusing information can make it difficult to know what you should do when it comes to having labor induction.

In this section, we provide more details about what labor induction is, why it might be recommended, what it involves, and the possible harms and benefits of having labor induced.