In the US, the majority of first trimester abortions are performed using vacuum aspiration under local anesthesia, commonly with a paracervical block. Most women are given a pre-operative anti-inflammatory agent such as ibuprofen. We propose that pain management can be optimized using a paracervical block of combined lidocaine and ketorolac, eliminating the need for pre-operative ...Read more >

Objectives: To evaluate the safety and relative effectiveness of two common techniques to achieve fetal asystole prior to second trimester surgical termination of pregnancy. Methods: We recruited 268 women age 18-42 years who desired surgical pregnancy termination between 20 and 24 weeks gestation at a single Planned Parenthood in Los Angeles. Participants were randomly assigned ...Read more >

Background: Few studies have examined women’s values and preferences about contraception. Interventions that assist women with contraceptive decision making have potential to increase value-concordant decisions and improve continuation and satisfaction, thereby decreasing unintended pregnancy. In this study, we used a mixed-methods approach to identify the values and preferences important to women in contraceptive decisions with ...Read more >