Access to abortion is becoming increasingly difficult in the era of state-mandated Targeted Regulation of Abortion (TRAP) laws. Of particular concern is the so-called “heartbeat” law, wherein abortion is deemed illegal after visualization of fetal cardiac activity. These laws may prohibit abortion access as early as after six weeks gestation, effectively eliminating access to the ...Read more >

Objective: Legislative barriers to abortion access are evaluated by courts against ill-defined standards of imposition of “undue burden.” Recently, travel of >150 miles has been accepted legally as undue burden. We attempted to determine if women traveling 150 miles or more for abortions perceive greater burden than those traveling less. Method: We surveyed women in ...Read more >

We request funding for an interdisciplinary planning award to support the development of a rigorous research protocol to evaluate the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on contraceptive service provision in safety net clinics in the US. Our team includes Drs. Blair G. Darney, Maria I. Rodriguez, and Erika Cottrell, who bring, respectively, expertise ...Read more >

This feasibility study will utilize a mixed methods approach over two distinct phases. Phase I: We will collect multiple sources of qualitative data to inform a counseling tool aimed at improving IUD users’ success and confidence in IUD self-removal. This will include conducting a series of focus groups with persons who have attempted IUD self-removal ...Read more >

Background: At a time when most states are working to restrict abortion, Massachusetts stands out as one of the few states with multiple state-level policies in place that support abortion access for low-income women. In 2006, Massachusetts passed health care reform, which resulted in almost all residents having insurance. Also, almost all state-level public and ...Read more >

Objectives: To assess women’s interest in over-the-counter (OTC) access to oral contraceptive pills (OCPs). Methods: We performed a nationally representative survey of adult women at risk of unintended pregnancy (age 18-44, not pregnant or seeking pregnancy, sexually active, not sterilized) using the Knowledge Networks probability-based web panel. In November-December 2011, 2,046 eligible women completed the ...Read more >

Background: Increasing accessibility of long-acting reversible contraceptive methods, like intrauterine devices (IUDs), is an important strategy to reduce the risk of unintended pregnancy. Unfortunately, concerns about pain with insertion is one of the major barriers to IUD use, especially among nulliparous women. To increase acceptance of this highly effective contraceptive, there is need to investigate ...Read more >

We developed a web-based database to track patients in the Penn Family Planning and Pregnancy Loss Center at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. The patients to identify are individuals coming to our clinic for induced abortion, spontaneous abortion, and contraceptive consultation. The database is almost completed; we anticipate final completion by the end ...Read more >

US adolescents have high rates of pregnancy, childbearing, and sexually transmitted infections (STI) highlighting the need to identify and implement effective programs that will help improve their reproductive health. Improving adolescents’ reproductive outcomes is a high priority for the City of Philadelphia, where half of the priority areas in the Health Department’s 2014-2018 Strategic Plan ...Read more >

Objectives: To develop a community-wide contraceptive expansion initiative and assess the change in contraceptive method uptake when cost and access barriers are removed in established family planning clinics. Methods: HER Salt Lake is a prospective cohort study examining three 6-month periods, nested in a quasi