Objectives: To gain training and expertise in bioethics to inform scholarship and further ongoing bioethical research about Catholic hospital obstetric care. To develop a bioethical framework regarding restrictions on reproductive health care in religious hospitals to inform a sociological crossover book about Catholic health care in the US. Methods: Training was gained through an intensive ...Read more >

With expanded access to affordable antiretroviral therapy (ART) in sub-Saharan Africa and the recommendation of earlier thresholds for treatment initiation, HIV-infected women are living longer, healthier lives. For HIV-infected women taking ART, using modern methods of contraception to plan pregnancy when CD4 count is high and viral load is low benefits maternal health and prevents ...Read more >

Over a thousand reproductive-aged, homeless women live in San Francisco, many of whom actively use substances. These women often exclusively contact the healthcare system through substance use treatment programs, and/or street-based homeless services. These women also frequently present to labor and delivery with scant prenatal care, or to the Women’s Options Center for later abortions ...Read more >

Approximately 100,000 abortions occur annually in Canada, of which 96% have been provided using surgery to date. Mifepristone, the gold standard for medical abortion, was made available for the first time in Canada in January 2017. The availability of mifepristone has particular potential to improve care for women in rural and remote communities, who currently ...Read more >

Background and significance: The opioid epidemic is a public health crisis affecting the lives of a large number of reproductive age women in the US. Women who use opioids have high rates of unintended pregnancy, low contraceptive use, and they experience social stigma that puts them at risk for low-quality and disrespectful health care. Despite ...Read more >

Over the past decade, our team has worked with families to develop interventions to improve how parents communicate with adolescents about sexual health issues. In recent years, parents have increasingly asked that content be delivered online. Parents report that as families’ schedules have become busier, it is difficult to attend in-person programs. Parents want a ...Read more >

Immediate postpartum initiation of the etonogestrel contraceptive implant has been proven to decrease rates of rapid, repeat pregnancies. Evidence supports that in healthy women with term infants initiation of the contraceptive implant 1-3 days postpartum does not appear to have any adverse effects on lactogenesis or breastfeeding continuation. However, no high quality study to date ...Read more >

Objectives: To compare abortion-related morbidities and adverse events and costs from abortions provided at Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) versus office-based settings. Methods: Retrospective cohort study of 49287 women continuously enrolled in US private health insurance who had 50311 induced abortions in ASCs or office-based settings 2011 – 2014. Outcomes were ascertained during the six weeks ...Read more >

Objectives: Immediate postpartum placement of the LNG-IUS can decrease unplanned pregnancy in the US. The objective of this study was to compare breastfeeding prevalence between women who receive the LNG-IUS immediately postpartum, or 4-6 weeks later. Methods: We conducted a parallel, randomized trial with 1:1 allocation at Women’s Hospital of North Carolina. The LNG-IUS was ...Read more >

Background: In Canada, 35.5% of all induced abortions are repeat abortions. To prevent recurrent unintended pregnancy, our service offers a copper intrauterine device (IUD), placed at the time of first trimester abortion. Our six year retrospective review indicated higher than expected one and five year repeat abortion rates among women with an IUD placed at ...Read more >