Background: Negative body image contributes to negative health behaviors, particularly eating disorders. In sexual health, women with negative body image are less likely to use a condom than women with positive body image. However, there is little research on how body image influences use of the various birth control methods available to young women. Methods: ...Read more >

More abortion restrictions were enacted across the United States (US) between 2011-2013 than in the entire previous decade. Supporters of legislation restricting abortion access claim these laws are necessary to ensure the safety of abortion services and the health of women. However, abortion in the US is already safe. The mortality rate from 2000-2009 was 0.7 ...Read more >

Postpartum contraception to promote birth spacing and prevent unwanted pregnancies is important but under-utilized. A key time for contraceptive initiation is at the postpartum visit, but this is traditionally scheduled for 6 weeks postpartum, after many women return to fertility and lose pregnancy-related health insurance. This creates barriers to accessing long-acting reversible contraception (LARC), including ...Read more >

Research shows that at least 86% of college students have reported intercourse at some point in their life and 68% report current sexual activity[.  This group has also been shown to engage in more high-risk sexual behavior including frequent partner change, sex without condoms and sex without the use of birth control.  The Surgeon General’s ...Read more >

The perinatal period is an important time to counsel patients and initiate a highly effective method of postpartum contraception. While the evidence of safety, effectiveness, and long-term continuation of postpartum contraception is established, less is known about the best approaches to counsel patients about their options for postpartum contraception. Within women’s health care and preventative ...Read more >

Long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) such as intrauterine devices (IUDs) and implants are becoming more popular among young people, but do not protect against sexually transmitted infections, which disproportionately impact this group. The purpose of this study was to understand the factors and influences that impact dual method contraception in adolescent and young adult women using ...Read more >

Background Cervical preparation prior to second trimester surgical abortion can reduce complications including hemorrhage and cervical laceration. Overnight osmotic dilators provide greater cervical dilation and may enable faster dilation and evacuation procedures than same-day cervical preparation. However, studies have consistently shown a strong patient preference for completing all abortion related procedures on the same day. ...Read more >

Background:  Over one million spontaneous abortions, or miscarriages, occur in the United States every year.  Despite knowing that almost half of pregnancies overall are unintended, there has been little previous research into the pregnancy intentions, future family planning goals, and contraceptive counseling preferences of women experiencing miscarriage.  Objectives:  1. Find the overall prevalence of unintended ...Read more >

Surgical abortion can provide an important opportunity to start contraception, but the most effective contraceptive methods are underused.  Structural barriers, such as clinic flow, device stocking, and insurance reimbursement, have historically limited access to post-abortion long-acting reversible contraception (LARC), which includes the intrauterine device and the subdermal implant.  In addition, patients may be poorly informed ...Read more >

For a woman seeking an abortion, an informed, timely, non-judgmental referral from a general clinician has the potential to expedite care and assist the woman in navigating a complicated and tumultuous landscape.  However, it is unclear from the currently available literature whether general practitioners have either the knowledge or willingness to make meaningful abortion referrals, ...Read more >