Lauren Ralph, PhD, MPH

Assistant Researcher, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences
Epidemiologist, Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health
 

Broadly, Dr. Ralph's research is dedicated to better understanding the drivers and consequences of unintended pregnancy among women worldwide, with a particular focus on adolescents and young adults. Her current work includes research on the longitudinal effects of being denied an abortion on women’s socioeconomic status, including:

  • educational aspirations and outcomes,
  • barriers to abortion care and the role that abortion restrictions have on women’s experience seeking abortion care,
  • innovative strategies to stimulate demand for contraception and broaden women’s contraceptive options, and
  • exploration into how the methodological challenges inherent to studying sexual health influence our interpretation of research findings.

She is also actively engaged in the ongoing debate on whether use of hormonal contraceptive methods increase women’s risk of HIV acquisition, having recently authored a meta-analysis summarizing the observational evidence conducted to date. Across all areas of research, she draws on a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods to answer research questions that can directly inform policy.

 

Education:

  • University of California, Berkeley, Masters in Public Health and Doctorate
  • University of California, Santa Barbara, Bachelor of Science

 

In the news:

Publications: 
  1. Rocca CH, Ralph LJ, Wilson M, Gould H, Foster DG. Psychometric Evaluation of an Instrument to Measure Prospective Pregnancy Preferences: The Desire to Avoid Pregnancy Scale. Med Care. 2019 Feb; 57(2):152-158. PMID: 30550399.
    View in: PubMed
  2. McCarthy KJ, Gollub EL, Ralph L, van de Wijgert J, Jones HE. Hormonal contraceptives and the acquisition of sexually transmitted infections: an updated systematic review. Sex Transm Dis. 2019 Jan 08. PMID: 30628946.
    View in: PubMed
  3. Gollub EL, Jones HE, Ralph LJ, van de Wijgert JHHM, Padian N, Stein Z. The Need for Policy Change Regarding Progestin-Only Injectable Contraceptives. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2018 Dec 21. PMID: 30576259.
    View in: PubMed
  4. Nance N, Ralph L, Padian N, Cowan F, Buzdugan R, Mushavi A, Mahomva A, McCoy SI. Unintended pregnancy and subsequent postpartum long-acting reversible contraceptive use in Zimbabwe. BMC Womens Health. 2018 Nov 26; 18(1):193. PMID: 30477497.
    View in: PubMed
  5. Biggs MA, Ralph L, Raifman S, Foster DG, Grossman D. Support for and interest in alternative models of medication abortion provision among a national probability sample of U.S. women. Contraception. 2018 Nov 09. PMID: 30448203.
    View in: PubMed
  6. Foster DG, Biggs MA, Ralph L, Gerdts C, Roberts S, Glymour MM. Socioeconomic Outcomes of Women Who Receive and Women Who Are Denied Wanted Abortions in the United States. Am J Public Health. 2018 Mar; 108(3):407-413. PMID: 29345993.
    View in: PubMed
  7. Ralph LJ, King E, Belusa E, Foster DG, Brindis CD, Biggs MA. The Impact of a Parental Notification Requirement on Illinois Minors' Access to and Decision-Making Around Abortion. J Adolesc Health. 2018 Mar; 62(3):281-287. PMID: 29248391.
    View in: PubMed
  8. Roberts SCM, Belusa E, Turok DK, Combellick S, Ralph L. Do 72-Hour Waiting Periods and Two-Visit Requirements for Abortion Affect Women's Certainty? A Prospective Cohort Study. Womens Health Issues. 2017 Jul - Aug; 27(4):400-406. PMID: 28391971.
    View in: PubMed
  9. Sisson G, Ralph L, Gould H, Foster DG. Adoption Decision Making among Women Seeking Abortion. Womens Health Issues. 2017 Mar - Apr; 27(2):136-144. PMID: 28153742.
    View in: PubMed
  10. Ralph LJ, Foster DG, Kimport K, Turok D, Roberts SCM. Measuring decisional certainty among women seeking abortion. Contraception. 2017 Mar; 95(3):269-278. PMID: 27745910.
    View in: PubMed
  11. Ralph LJ, Gollub EL, Jones HE. Hormonal contraceptive use and women's risk of HIV acquisition: priorities emerging from recent data. Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol. 2015 Dec; 27(6):487-95. PMID: 26536211.
    View in: PubMed
  12. Ralph LJ, McCoy SI, Shiu K, Padian NS. Hormonal contraceptive use and women's risk of HIV acquisition: a meta-analysis of observational studies. Lancet Infect Dis. 2015 Feb; 15(2):181-9. PMID: 25578825; PMCID: PMC4526270.
    View in: PubMed, PubMed Central
  13. McCoy SI, Ralph LJ, Padian NS, Minnis AM. Are hormonal contraceptive users more likely to misreport unprotected sex? Evidence from a biomarker validation study in Zimbabwe. AIDS Behav. 2014 Dec; 18(12):2259-64. PMID: 24619603; PMCID: PMC4162861.
    View in: PubMed, PubMed Central
  14. McCoy SI, Buzdugan R, Ralph LJ, Mushavi A, Mahomva A, Hakobyan A, Watadzaushe C, Dirawo J, Cowan FM, Padian NS. Unmet need for family planning, contraceptive failure, and unintended pregnancy among HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected women in Zimbabwe. PLoS One. 2014; 9(8):e105320. PMID: 25144229; PMCID: PMC4140753.
    View in: PubMed, PubMed Central
  15. McCoy SI, Ralph LJ, Njau PF, Msolla MM, Padian NS. Food insecurity, socioeconomic status, and HIV-related risk behavior among women in farming households in Tanzania. AIDS Behav. 2014 Jul; 18(7):1224-36. PMID: 24097335; PMCID: PMC3977025.
    View in: PubMed, PubMed Central
  16. Ralph L, McCoy S, Hallett T, Padian N. Research on hormonal contraception and HIV - Authors' reply. Lancet. 2014 Jan 25; 383(9914):305-6. PMID: 24461119.
    View in: PubMed
  17. Ralph L, Gould H, Baker A, Foster DG. The role of parents and partners in minors' decisions to have an abortion and anticipated coping after abortion. J Adolesc Health. 2014 Apr; 54(4):428-34. PMID: 24332398.
    View in: PubMed
  18. Ralph LJ, McCoy SI, Hallett T, Padian N. Next steps for research on hormonal contraception and HIV. Lancet. 2013 Nov 02; 382(9903):1467-9. PMID: 23810224.
    View in: PubMed
  19. Minnis AM, Marchi K, Ralph L, Biggs MA, Combellick S, Arons A, Brindis CD, Braveman P. Limited socioeconomic opportunities and Latina teen childbearing: a qualitative study of family and structural factors affecting future expectations. J Immigr Minor Health. 2013 Apr; 15(2):334-40. PMID: 22678305.
    View in: PubMed
  20. McCoy SI, Ralph LJ, Wilson W, Padian NS. Alcohol production as an adaptive livelihood strategy for women farmers in Tanzania and its potential for unintended consequences on women's reproductive health. PLoS One. 2013; 8(3):e59343. PMID: 23527167; PMCID: PMC3601967.
    View in: PubMed, PubMed Central
  21. Brindis CD, Ralph LJ. Critical junctures: assuring healthy outcomes for adolescents in the new millennium. Adolesc Med State Art Rev. 2011 Dec; 22(3):341-66, ix. PMID: 22423455.
    View in: PubMed
  22. Schwartz SL, Brindis CD, Ralph LJ, Biggs MA. Latina adolescents' perceptions of their male partners' influences on childbearing: findings from a qualitative study in California. Cult Health Sex. 2011 Sep; 13(8):873-86. PMID: 21707264.
    View in: PubMed
  23. Ralph LJ, Brindis CD. Access to reproductive healthcare for adolescents: establishing healthy behaviors at a critical juncture in the lifecourse. Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol. 2010 Oct; 22(5):369-74. PMID: 20733485.
    View in: PubMed
  24. Foster DG, Biggs MA, Ralph LJ, Arons A, Brindis CD. Family planning and life planning reproductive intentions among individuals seeking reproductive health care. Womens Health Issues. 2008 Sep-Oct; 18(5):351-9. PMID: 18485738.
    View in: PubMed
  25. Foster DG, Ralph LJ, Arons A, Brindis CD, Harper CC. Trends in knowledge of emergency contraception among women in California, 1999-2004. Womens Health Issues. 2007 Jan-Feb; 17(1):22-8. PMID: 17321944.
    View in: PubMed
  26. Ralph L, Brindis C, Shields WC. Mandating parental involvement in adolescents' abortion: implications of a short-sighted policy. Contraception. 2006 Feb; 73(2):211-3. PMID: 16413852.
    View in: PubMed
Tags: 
Adolescent sexual health
Contraception
Abortion