Daily oral dosing of the antiretroviral drugs tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) and emtricitabine (FTC) has been approved by the FDA pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).  Oral PrEP has been shown to be highly effective in preventing HIV transmission through the rectum, but less effective, and in some studies ineffective, in preventing vaginal transmission. Determinants of tissue penetration of antiretroviral drugs are not ...Read more >

Background: Despite barriers to abortion provision, some physicians have successfully incorporated abortion care into their practices. Research identifying facilitators of abortion integration is limited.  Characterizing factors associated with successful integration may inform interventions to increase abortion provision at the individual provider level. Objectives: To identify OB/GYN and Family Medicine physicians who have successfully integrated abortion ...Read more >

Abortion is restricted in Jamaica under the Offences Against the Person Act of 1864, which is based on the 1861 English Act of the same title. Abortion is legal only for the preservation of maternal mental and or physical health. Jamaican health care workers have advocated for changes to the law. A survey conducted in ...Read more >

We propose a randomized controlled double-blinded trial comparing gabapentin 600 mg to placebo as an adjunct to moderate sedation among patients undergoing outpatient same-day dilation and evacuation. The primary study outcome is pain during dilation and evacuation as recorded by 100-mm VAS. Secondary outcomes include need for additional doses of IV sedation, perioperative pain, anxiety, ...Read more >

Vasectomy is an underutilized sterilization method despite its lower cost, superior safety, and greater efficacy when compared to female sterilization. Few interventions decreasing health system barriers to vasectomy have been studied. Nationwide, Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) affiliates provide low-cost vasectomy in 15 states, with 14/15 requiring a two-visit model: one counseling visit and ...Read more >

Objectives: We sought to evaluate the ability of women to independently perform and interpret the results of the low sensitivity and multilevel urine pregnancy tests for medication abortion follow up. Study design: We conducted a randomized trial of women seeking medication abortion, with intrauterine pregnancies through 63-days gestation. Women were randomized to use either a ...Read more >

The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is a ubiquitous virus composed of over 40 sexually transmitted virus strains. With the available of the HPV vaccine in 2006, the opportunity to prevent these cancers was introduced. The vaccine is recommended by the CDC for all females aged 9-26. According to the CDC, rates of vaccination are relatively ...Read more >

Overall, the few existing studies on the reproductive health of women with severe mental illness (SMI) suggest a potential unmet need for family planning education, counseling, and contraceptive services. Family planning has been given little attention in mental health contexts, and yet it is a foundation of women’s preventive healthcare required to optimize the health, ...Read more >

Postpartum depression is a common but underdiagnosed medical condition affecting at least 10-15% of new mothers. The effect of progestin contraception on mood is somewhat unclear and understudied, and the majority of the literature focuses on contraceptive use outside the postpartum period. Our study will be a prospective cohort study investigating the effect of the ...Read more >

A randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial will evaluate efficacy of auricular acupuncture as an adjunct to ibuprofen and paracervical block for decreasing pain and anxiety.