Monthly Women's Health Research Review

Surgical and Medical Abortion Both Highly Effective, Safe at Nine Weeks Gestation or Less, Study Finds

July 29, 2015

In this study, researchers compared the efficacy of surgical abortion and medical abortion at nine weeks gestation or less. Overall, they found that both procedures are highly effective and have low risks of complications. They recommended, "Provided [women] are appropriate candidates for either method, they should be counseled on both medical and surgical options when seeking pregnancy termination."

Review Debunks Medication Abortion 'Reversal' Claims

July 29, 2015

In this study, researchers reviewed published studies to assess the rate of continued pregnancy in women after ingesting mifepristone -- the first drug administered in a medication abortion -- as well as in women who received progesterone doses after ingesting mifepristone. Based on their findings, the researchers concluded that laws requiring physicians to tell women seeking medication abortions that the procedure can be "reversed" via progesterone treatment are "an affront to responsible research conduct and to the ethical practice of medicine."

IUD Placement at Time of Delivery Linked to Increased IUD Use Six-Months Postpartum, Study Finds

July 29, 2015

In this study, researchers compared the rate of intrauterine device use among women who received an IUD at the time of their cesarean delivery with the rate among women who planned to receive an IUD six weeks after a C-section. At six-months postpartum, the researchers found the rate of IUD use was 83% in the intracesarean group and 64% in the six-week interval group. The study "add[s] to the growing body of evidence that provision of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) at the time of delivery leads to increased use of effective contraception."

Study: State Restrictions on Mifepristone Keep it From Reaching 'Full Potential'

July 29, 2015

In this study, researchers at Gynuity Health Projects assessed four states to examine the effect of state restrictions on mifepristone use, such as laws restricting who is authorized to prescribe the drug, requiring the physician be physically present to administer the drug and requiring providers to adhere to outdated regimens when prescribing the drug. The authors concluded that such restrictions have kept mifepristone from "reach[ing] its full potential" and have limited access to medication abortion.

Federally Qualified Health Centers Could Have 'Significant Role' in Meeting Adolescents' Family Planning Needs, Study Finds

July 29, 2015

In this study, authors investigated the role that community health centers play in providing family planning services to adolescents. The researchers concluded that "CHCs have the opportunity to play a significant role in providing high-quality family planning to low-income, medically underserved adolescents," although increased funding, additional resources and "a favorable policy climate" would help CHCs to better meet the needs of that patient population.

Authorizing Pharmacies To Dispense Medication Abortion Could Improve Access in U.S.

July 29, 2015

In this commentary, researchers compared medication abortion regulation in Australia, where women can obtain the necessary medications via prescription at pharmacies, and in the U.S., where FDA requires that the initial medication abortion drug, mifepristone, be administered "only by physicians in clinics, offices or hospitals and cannot be dispensed in pharmacies." The researchers urged U.S. regulators to adopt policies similar to Australia's, noting that the resulting "potential improvements in access to early medical abortion could be great -- both in terms of the number and distribution of providers, as well as the expansion of the use of telemedicine."

Study Assesses Relationship Between Abortion Policies, Laws and Women's Contraceptive Use

July 29, 2015

This study examined women's contraceptive use between 1995 and 2010 -- a time period that "witnessed a significant increase in the proportion of women exposed to restrictive abortion policies and contexts" -- to examine how women's contraceptive choices were influenced by antiabortion-rights law and policies. The researchers found that "women living in states with more restrictive abortion contexts tend to use highly effective contraceptives." According to the researchers, the findings indicated that, "to avoid [unintended] pregnancies, it is important to ensure access to highly effective contraceptive methods for all women when access to abortions is limited."

Study Assesses How Community Health Centers Organize, Deliver Family Planning Services

June 24, 2015

In this study, the authors investigate organizational factors that influence family planning services at community health centers. They found that while the centers "play an integral role in delivering primary care and family planning services," improving access to such services "will require a combination of additional direct funding, technical assistance, and policies that emphasize how health centers can incorporate quality family planning as a fundamental element of primary care."

Increased Use of LARCs Could Help Women Avoid Closely Spaced Pregnancies

June 24, 2015

In this study, researchers examined patterns of women's contraceptive use following delivery, as well as the association between which contraceptives they used and pregnancy risk within the first year and a half. They found that "many U.S. women rely on less-effective contraceptive methods -- or use no method -- in the 18 months after delivery" and urged the implementation of "programs and policies that remove barriers to initiating effective contraception" to help "reduce adverse maternal and neonatal health outcomes associated with closely spaced births."

Women's Contraceptive Method Selection Associated With Risk of Pregnancy

June 24, 2015

For this study, researchers examined contraceptive use among privately insured women who wanted to avoid pregnancy for at least 12 months. They found that, "[c]ontrary to [their] hypothesis, pregnancy intentions were not the strongest predictors of using prescription contraceptives that are covered without cost-sharing: current pregnancy risk exposure variables were more strongly associated with using [long-acting reversible contraception] and other prescription contraception, compared with no contraception."

Items 51 - 60 of 489