After I finished my undergraduate degree at Santa Clara University in California, I moved to Boston where I completed my medical school training at Boston University School of Medicine. I was fortunate to stay at Boston Medical Center for my residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology, a department that had both strong Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) ...Read more >

I am an Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Director of Obstetrical Services, and Vice Chair for Quality and Safety with appointments in the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics and the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics at the University of Pennsylvania. I have developed a successful research program in Maternal Fetal Medicine that ...Read more >

I am a womanist theo-ethicist/reproductive justice (RJ) expert whose scholarship is situated at the intersections of womanist theology and ethics and reproductive justice. I am one of the founding mothers of the RJ movement. This study examines the ways in which religious doctrine and dogma impact the reproductive decisions and sexual attitudes and behaviors of ...Read more >

Background: Current regulations restrict access to medication abortion and contribute to the perception that women cannot safely take medication abortion pills (mifepristone and misoprostol) on their own without clinician supervision. However, these drugs meet many of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) criteria for being available over the counter (OTC). Medication abortion is safe, has ...Read more >

Background: While mifepristone has the potential to expand abortion access in the US through integration into primary care, initial expectations for provision by family physicians have not been realized. Research indicates that physician motivation to provide medication abortion is an important factor in overcoming logistical and organizational barriers to abortion provision. Methods: For this project, ...Read more >

Background: A rapid increase in legislation restricting access to clinical abortion services in the US has sparked renewed interest in self-managed abortion as a response to clinic access barriers. At the same time, rising interest in self-care and the role of the internet as a go-to source of goods and services raises the possibility that ...Read more >

Background: Mifepristone did not “revolutionize” access to abortion in the ways originally anticipated. However, in the 17 years since its approval it has changed the face of abortion care, potentially in ways that have increased access. In 2014, nearly-one third of abortions were early medication procedures, and 26% of clinic facilities provided only early medication ...Read more >

Background: The Mifeprex® Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) requires that the drug be dispensed only in a clinic, office, or hospital, despite the lack of evidence that this improves safety. In a recent survey of obstetrician-gynecologists (Ob-Gyns), we found that only 14% provided medication abortion, but an additional 15% said they would provide it ...Read more >

Background: While medication abortion has the potential to expand abortion access, barriers persist. One such barrier may be locating a provider. Research has shown that individuals commonly use the internet to self-refer for abortion services. However, we have previously shown that the quality of information available online for abortion self-referral is low, and it is ...Read more >

Background: Current approaches to pain management are inadequate for both aspiration and medication abortion. Our recent placebo controlled trial found that an easily taught auricular acupuncture protocol led to much lower maximum pain during aspiration abortion compared to usual care (median scores 39.5 versus 71 on a 100-point Visual Analog Scale). The intervention also substantially ...Read more >