Adolescent pregnancy prevention is a public health priority. Most adolescents rely on condoms, with fewer using effective hormonal methods, such as combined oral contraceptive pills (COCs). One reason is that hormonal methods other than emergency contraception (EC) require a provider visit, a barrier for adolescents who may not have transportation, may not have money, or ...Read more >

Background: The number of Bhutanese refugees in the US continues to grow with insufficient knowledge of current family planning practices of this community. Refugee women face additional barriers that prevent them from obtaining adequate healthcare. Methods: We analyzed the current attitudes and practices regarding pregnancy, contraception, social norms, and abortion in the Bhutanese community. A ...Read more >

For this Junior Investigator Career Development Grant, I completed a rigorous research and training program to develop my skills conducting abortion-related research. For my research project, I joined a team of collaborators at the University of California, San Francisco and in Nepal on two abortion research studies, one examining the experiences of Nepali women who ...Read more >

This study is a history of the development and subsequent resurgence of the occupational role of abortion counseling, a role that initially emerged in the early 1970s, before Roe v. Wade. This research is guided, in theoretical terms, by the approach to the study of occupations associated with the Chicago School of Sociology and in ...Read more >

In South Africa, abortion is legal for several indications up to 20 weeks gestation, and approximately 25%-30% of all abortions take place in the second trimester. Most public sector second trimester procedures are performed by medical induction with misoprostol alone, although in the Western Cape Province, a team of roving doctors provides dilation and evacuation. ...Read more >

Background: High-risk sexual behavior, including unprotected sex, is highly prevalent in adolescents (13-17 years old) and exposes them to unintended pregnancy, HIV, and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Two explanations for why young people are more likely to engage in high-risk sexual behavior are that individuals do not perceive themselves to be at risk, and ...Read more >

Objectives: To conduct new research that prospectively assesses fertility intentions and pregnancy attitudes using waves of data from a national sample of US women. This work will fill a gap in the growing body of research on these topics by providing insights into the extent to which US women’s fertility intentions change over time and ...Read more >

Background: High rates of unintended pregnancy worldwide demonstrate there is a gap in available contraceptive methods. If developed as planned, the peri-coital contraceptive pill will be an effective and intuitive method that could be taken in a period before or after unprotected sexual intercourse. Yet successful uptake of a new technology relies on concise terminology ...Read more >

Objectives: Native women have disproportionately high rates of unintended pregnancy and sexual violence, and low rates of contraceptive use compared to non-Native women. Native women’s sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is tied to the history of systematic oppression, racism, and coercion against Native communities in the US. This project aimed to facilitate a deeper understanding ...Read more >

Objective: To determine same day pharmacy availability of ulipristal acetate, evaluate for differences in availability expressed to patients and physicians, and to compare the availability of ulipristal acetate with that of levonorgesterel-containing emergency contraceptive pills. Methods: We conducted an observational population-based study utilizing a telephone-based secret shopper methodology. Researchers called all 195 unique retail pharmacies ...Read more >