Background Ending a pregnancy is a significant event in a woman’s life, as well as in the lives of her partner, family, and community. In the United States, how women experience abortion has been shaped by sociopolitical processes, medical paradigms, and the Feminist Movement, and less so by women who receive this care. As abortion ...Read more >

Background: Hemorrhage, the most common complication of dilation and evacuations is estimated to occur in 0.8% to 2.1% of procedures. The rate of hemorrhage increases with gestational age, affecting up to 6.3% of dilation and evacuations performed above 18-weeks gestation. Many practitioners report the use of prophylactic uterotonics, like oxytocin, with dilation and evacuation to ...Read more >

Background: The immediate postpartum period is an ideal time to initiate contraception, however many women leave the hospital without an effective birth control plan. Intrauterine devices (IUDs) are highly effective at preventing pregnancy and can be placed immediately after delivery (post-placental insertion). Despite the safety and effectiveness of placing an IUD after delivery, this practice ...Read more >

Background: Cervical preparation before second-trimester dilation and evacuation reduces surgical risk. Same-day cervical preparation in early second trimester is safe and effective with osmotic cervical dilators and prostaglandin analogues but few studies have examined cervical preparation methods for same-day dilation and evacuation in the second trimester. Administration of misoprostol as an adjunct to osmotic dilators ...Read more >

HIV specialists are the main primary care providers for women with HIV; this care often includes gynecologic care. Specific drug interactions between contraceptives and antiretroviral therapy may alter contraceptive efficacy for HIV+ women of reproductive age. There are limited data on what women with HIV are using for contraception and it is unclear what HIV ...Read more >

Background: The use of long-acting, highly effective forms of contraception such as the intrauterine device (IUD) or subdermal implant is associated with lower pregnancy and repeat abortion rates.  Immediate post-abortal insertions are safe and effective, yet many abortion facilities in the United States do not offer immediate placement. Previous research has identified patient and provider ...Read more >

Background: Reproductive autonomy (RA) means having control over one’s own fertility desires. Identification in a religious community may impact women’s decision-making abilities surrounding family planning. Upadhyay et al. developed a scale consisting of three domains that measure RA as it applies to a woman and her partner: freedom from coercion, communication, and decision-making. However, little ...Read more >

This project had the long-term goal of addressing the unintended pregnancy rate among Native Hawaiians, which is by the best evidence we have, the highest among the major racial groups in Hawaii. Hawaii has the 2nd highest unintended pregnancy rate in the nation. Addressing this health disparity would make strides toward empowering Hawaiians to achieve ...Read more >

Women who present for an elective abortion represent a population that is at risk for unintended pregnancy, and their contact with the health care system may seem an ideal time to discuss and provide contraception. Despite the fact that 90-95% of women receive a form of contraception at the time of an abortion, approximately half ...Read more >