Objectives: Immediate postpartum placement of the LNG-IUS can decrease unplanned pregnancy in the US. The objective of this study was to compare breastfeeding prevalence between women who receive the LNG-IUS immediately postpartum, or 4-6 weeks later. Methods: We conducted a parallel, randomized trial with 1:1 allocation at Women’s Hospital of North Carolina. The LNG-IUS was ...Read more >

Background: In Canada, 35.5% of all induced abortions are repeat abortions. To prevent recurrent unintended pregnancy, our service offers a copper intrauterine device (IUD), placed at the time of first trimester abortion. Our six year retrospective review indicated higher than expected one and five year repeat abortion rates among women with an IUD placed at ...Read more >

Objective: To determine the effect of the prostaglandin endoperoxide-synthase 2 (PTGS2) inhibitor celecoxib on ovulation and luteal events in women. Study Design: Randomized double-blind crossover design. Ovulatory reproductive-aged women underwent ovarian ultrasound and serum hormone monitoring during four menstrual cycles (control cycle, treatment cycle 1, washout cycle, treatment cycle 2). Subjects received study drug (oral ...Read more >

This proposal brings together a creative and skilled interdisciplinary group to answer the following question: How can the stories and experiences of abortion providers be used to change public conversations about abortion, reduce abortion stigma, and stop the proliferation of state-level abortion restrictions? Two of the investigators (Harris and Martin) have developed a repository of ...Read more >

Objective: To investigate the effect of state-mandated abortion counseling requirements intended to dissuade women from having abortions on patients’ individual-level abortion stigma. Methods: We randomized women presenting for abortion to complete a demographic survey and the validated Individual Level Abortion Stigma (ILAS) scale either before (unexposed) or after (exposed) hearing the mandatory Pennsylvania Abortion Control ...Read more >

Objectives: The crucial question facing the contemporary abortion rights movement is why the gay and lesbian movement is winning and abortion rights is losing. Comparisons generally locate their divergent trajectories in the intrinsic nature of each movement’s claim, but research has not investigated how the histories and structures of each matter for their respective outcomes. ...Read more >

Objectives: We aimed to determine if an innovative system-level intervention offering postpartum women contraceptive counseling and provision in conjunction with their infant’s well-baby visit (WBV) increases utilization rates of long-acting reversible contraception, and describe facilitators and barriers to implementation. Methods: We conducted a randomized controlled trial among women bringing their infants (4.5 months of age ...Read more >

Objectives: To expand my research program in abortion and mental health through working with Danish population registries data. The mental health outcomes we are examining include antidepressant use, suicide attempts, and suicide. Methods: Using Danish population registries, we conducted survival analysis to examine risk of antidepressant use, suicide attempts, and suicide around a first abortion ...Read more >

Objectives: We explored the role that reproductive stigmas play in decision-making when faced with an unintended pregnancy among young low-income women in Birmingham, Alabama. Methods: We conducted six focus groups with low-income women aged 19-24 attending health department clinics and a community college (n=34). Using the focus group findings and our existing abortion stigma survey ...Read more >

Objectives: Women have several timely options to obtain emergency contraception (EC) by prescription to increase their chances of preventing pregnancy. Little is known about population-based EC utilization and reproductive health outcomes. Methods: Data was abstracted from electronic health records to compare characteristics and reproductive health outcomes of 24,547 women age 15-44 who obtained at least ...Read more >