Background: The decades-long conflict, human rights violations, and lack of development in Eastern Burma have led to mass displacement of women from Burma into Thailand. These women face significant challenges accessing safe abortion care. Objectives: We evaluated two programs designed to reduce harm from unsafe abortion: a referral program in Northern Thailand and a misoprostol ...Read more >

All women can face obstacles when accessing reproductive health services. For some, obstacles are even greater. Over the last decade, Dr. Davis has created a network of researchers and clinicians dedicated to improving the reproductive health of two special populations: women with epilepsy seeking contraception and women in the second trimester of pregnancy seeking abortion. ...Read more >

Family planning has been shown to save the lives of women and children living in developing countries, yet it is estimated that between one third and nearly half of all women in developing countries using modern reversible contraceptive methods discontinue their method within 12 months of initiation. The objective of this study is to investigate ...Read more >

Objectives: To explore the prevalence of negative experiences with long-acting reversible contraception (LARC), shared by a friend or family member, and to assess the influence of these stories on decision-making. Methods: We performed a sub-study within a randomized controlled trial evaluating a contraceptive counseling intervention for women presenting for induced abortion (n=60). We surveyed participants ...Read more >

Objectives: Expanding medication abortion to the pharmacy setting could help women access safe care. Studies have not evaluated pharmacy interventions. This non-inferiority study in Nepal investigated whether mifepristone-misoprostol medication abortion provided by trained nurses from pharmacies could be as effective and safe as when provided from government-certified abortion facilities. Methods: Nurses in two districts, Chitwan ...Read more >

Objectives: To gain training and expertise in bioethics to inform scholarship and further ongoing bioethical research about Catholic hospital obstetric care. To develop a bioethical framework regarding restrictions on reproductive health care in religious hospitals to inform a sociological crossover book about Catholic health care in the US. Methods: Training was gained through an intensive ...Read more >

With expanded access to affordable antiretroviral therapy (ART) in sub-Saharan Africa and the recommendation of earlier thresholds for treatment initiation, HIV-infected women are living longer, healthier lives. For HIV-infected women taking ART, using modern methods of contraception to plan pregnancy when CD4 count is high and viral load is low benefits maternal health and prevents ...Read more >

Over a thousand reproductive-aged, homeless women live in San Francisco, many of whom actively use substances. These women often exclusively contact the healthcare system through substance use treatment programs, and/or street-based homeless services. These women also frequently present to labor and delivery with scant prenatal care, or to the Women’s Options Center for later abortions ...Read more >

Approximately 100,000 abortions occur annually in Canada, of which 96% have been provided using surgery to date. Mifepristone, the gold standard for medical abortion, was made available for the first time in Canada in January 2017. The availability of mifepristone has particular potential to improve care for women in rural and remote communities, who currently ...Read more >

Background and significance: The opioid epidemic is a public health crisis affecting the lives of a large number of reproductive age women in the US. Women who use opioids have high rates of unintended pregnancy, low contraceptive use, and they experience social stigma that puts them at risk for low-quality and disrespectful health care. Despite ...Read more >