Amy Whitaker, MD, MPH, University of Chicago
Provision of effective contraception in the postpartum period is a vital component of pregnancy care. The intrauterine device (IUD) is an excellent method of contraception and is appealing for use in the postpartum period. Immediate postplacental insertion of the IUD (insertion within 10 minutes of delivery of the placenta) has been studied for decades, and ...Read more >
Alison Edelman, MD, MPH, Oregon Health & Science University
The US has the highest unplanned pregnancy rate of any developed country (49%). Even women using birth control can experience an unplanned pregnancy. The number of US women taking oral contraceptives (OC) who experience an unintended pregnancy amounts to half a million over a year’s time. Many of these birth control failures occur because of ...Read more >
Eleanor Drey, MD, EdM, University of California, San Francisco
There are several benefits of offering implantable etonorgestrel (“the implant”) in the post-abortion population, and its availability may significantly decrease repeat unintended pregnancy. Our prospective cohort study evaluated acceptability of post-abortion implant placement, its effect on post-abortion bleeding, and an ongoing evaluation of one-year continuation. In addition, supplemental funding made recruitment of more implant subjects ...Read more >
Catherine Cansino, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins University
In the US, the majority of first trimester abortions are performed using vacuum aspiration under local anesthesia, commonly with a paracervical block. Most women are given a pre-operative anti-inflammatory agent such as ibuprofen. We propose that pain management can be optimized using a paracervical block of combined lidocaine and ketorolac, eliminating the need for pre-operative ...Read more >