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 >

Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) is a progestin-only, hormonal contraceptive that is extremely effective, obviates the need for daily or weekly compliance, and can be used privately. DMPA is very appealing for the adolescent contraceptive user. Despite its many advantages, DMPA continuation rates are low in adolescents. Side effects, namely weight gain and bone mineral density ...Read more >

Background: While prior research has shown that psychological health prior to an abortion is a strong predictor of post-abortion mental health and coping, research understanding the role of psychological health in other important post-abortion outcomes, such as contraceptive decision-making is lacking. Objective: The goal of this research is to examine how women’s levels of depression, ...Read more >

This project will assess the unmet demand for female sterilization in a sample of Mexican origin oral contraceptive users, as well the factors underlying that demand and the availability of this method of contraception in El Paso, Texas. It will build on the research findings and infrastructure of the project “Border Contraceptive Access Study,” in ...Read more >

Background: Women in the US have extraordinarily high rates of unintended pregnancy, with poor and minority women disproportionately experiencing this adverse reproductive health outcome. This high rate of unintended pregnancies is caused in part by the under-use and misuse of effective contraceptive methods. As in the US all non-barrier methods of contraception require consultation with ...Read more >

Approximately 140,000 second trimester abortions are performed in the US each year. Second trimester abortion is most commonly performed by a technique known as dilation and evacuation. Clinicians use digoxin, a drug commonly used for cardiac conditions, to facilitate pregnancy termination in the late second trimester. When injected into the fetus or amniotic fluid, digoxin ...Read more >

Background: Globally there is a dearth of access to safe second trimester abortions. Preoperative cervical ripening improves the safety of these procedures. Prior clinical and pharmacokinetic studies suggest misoprostol and Dilapan-S are effective for faster cervical ripening, allowing early second trimester abortions to be performed in a single day. However, it is unknown which agent ...Read more >