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 >

Physicians can provide compelling testimony when state legislatures consider health issues. However, for abortion legislation, abortion-providing physicians may be discounted as biased or having a conflict of interest. We explored the willingness of non-abortion providing physicians to advocate for abortion access. We recruited Michigan doctors from a range of specialties, who were known by the ...Read more >

The overall goal of this mentor grant is to improve access to long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) by investigating ways to implement LARC at time frames other than the traditional family planning visit, while simultaneously training new independent clinician-researchers focused on family planning in the US, Malawi and Zambia. Dr. Stuart’s career objectives are to complete ...Read more >

Objective: Effective postpartum contraception helps space births and reduce unintended pregnancy. We explore predictors, including trust, of choosing effective postpartum contraception among a cohort of pregnant women. Methods: This prospective, observational study enrolled adult English-speaking pregnant women during prenatal care. We administered surveys at enrollment and prior to discharge. Our primary predictor was trust in ...Read more >

There is an urgent need for effective HIV prevention tools for African American (AA) women, a population disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS health disparities. Approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2012 for use by HIV-negative persons, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a promising biomedical prevention strategy that has the potential to reduce HIV incidence among ...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 >

Over the past decade, our team has worked with families to develop interventions to improve how parents communicate with adolescents about sexual health issues. In recent years, parents have increasingly asked that content be delivered online. Parents report that as families’ schedules have become busier, it is difficult to attend in-person programs. Parents want a ...Read more >

There is longstanding recognition of the limitations of current approaches to conceptualizing and measuring pregnancy intentions. Foundationally, the concept of planning a pregnancy may not be relevant to many women, including women of color, poor women, and young women – the groups considered at greatest risk of unintended pregnancy. Our qualitative research has revealed that ...Read more >

Background: Laws mandating parental consent or notification for minors seeking abortion currently affect girls in 38 states. Over the last three years, legislators proposed over 90 measures to introduce new or strengthen existing laws in 27 states. Despite their prevalence, parental involvement laws’ effects on girls’ access to and experience of abortion remain poorly described, ...Read more >