Lori Freedman, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences
Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH)
Dr. Freedman researches the ways in which reproductive health care is shaped by our social structure and medical culture. Her book, Willing and Unable: Doctors’ Constraints in Abortion Care, is based upon 40 in-depth physician interviews. It examines how abortion politics affect medical practice, focusing on the challenges of integrating abortion into physician practice. Unexpected findings from these interviews led her to research and write about the intersection of religion and health care, especially in the case of Catholic-owned hospitals. This research experience has spawned her interest in how physician employers use conscience clauses in medical practice at individual and institutional levels.
Education:
- University of Oregon, Bachelor's Degree
- University of California, Davis, Doctorate in Sociology
In the news:
- Is there a bishop in the house? (op-ed) | Conscience Magazine
- How Trump administration undermines reproductive and LGBTQ rights in California (op-ed)| CALMatters
- How Trump's decision puts women's health at risk (op-ed) | San Jose Mercury News
- Affiliation with Dignity Health is too risky for UCSF (op-ed) | San Francisco Chronicle
- 1 important question women should be asking about their hospital (op-ed) | POPSUGAR
- Forgiveness in the abortion clinic (op-ed) | Pacific Standard
- Your ob-gyn might not perform your abortion--here's why | Glamour
- UCSF ends proposed affiliation with Dignity over LGBTQ, reproductive rights | Healthcare Dive
- Will ties to a Catholic hospital tie doctors' hands? | Kaiser Health News
- The rise of "zombie religious hospitals" | The New Republic
- As Catholic hospitals expand, so do limits on some procedures | New York Times
- How religious health care hurts women of color | The New Republic
- Ob-gyns navigate Catholic hospitals' ethics rules | KPCC
Publications:
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Beyond Hobby Lobby: Employer's responsibilities and opportunities to improve network access to reproductive healthcare for employees. Contracept X. 2022; 4:100078. Hasselbacher LA, Wingo E, Cacioppo A, McHugh A, Stulberg D, Freedman L. PMID: 35620729; PMCID: PMC9127306.View in: PubMed Mentions:
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What you don't know can hurt you: Patient and provider perspectives on postpartum contraceptive care in Illinois Catholic Hospitals. Contraception. 2022 03; 107:62-67. Wong ZJ, Thompson L, Boulware A, Chen J, Freedman L, Stulberg D, Hasselbacher L. PMID: 34748754.
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"Going through it together": Being accompanied by loved ones during birth and abortion. Soc Sci Med. 2021 09; 284:114234. Altshuler AL, Ojanen-Goldsmith A, Blumenthal PD, Freedman LR. PMID: 34303291.
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Reproductive healthcare denials among a privately insured population. Prev Med Rep. 2021 Sep; 23:101450. Hebert LE, Wingo EE, Hasselbacher L, Schueler KE, Freedman LR, Stulberg DB. PMID: 34258172; PMCID: PMC8254036.
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Expectations about availability of contraception and abortion at a hypothetical Catholic hospital: Rural-urban disparities among Wisconsin women. Contraception. 2021 11; 104(5):506-511. Kramer RD, Higgins JA, Burns ME, Stulberg DB, Freedman LR. PMID: 34058222.
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Prevalence and experiences of Wisconsin women turned away from Catholic settings without receiving reproductive care. Contraception. 2021 10; 104(4):377-382. Kramer RD, Higgins JA, Burns ME, Freedman LR, Stulberg DB. PMID: 34023379.
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Denial of tubal ligation in religious hospitals: Consumer attitudes when insurance limits hospital choice. Contraception. 2021 08; 104(2):194-201. Schueler KE, Hebert LE, Wingo EE, Freedman LR, Stulberg DB. PMID: 33657425.
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P73 Employer vs. employee perspectives on religious healthcare denials and insurance networks: A mixed methods study. Contraception. 2020 Oct 1; 102(4):300-301. Hasselbacher HL, Cacioppo CA, McHugh MA, Wingo WE, Hebert HL, Stulberg SD, Freedman FL. .View in: Publisher Site Mentions:
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Restrictions on Reproductive Care at Catholic Hospitals: A Qualitative Study of Patient Experiences and Perspectives. AJOB Empir Bioeth. 2020 Oct-Dec; 11(4):257-267. Wascher JM, Stulberg DB, Freedman LR. PMID: 32940553.
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Anticipatory Counseling About Miscarriage Management in Catholic Hospitals: A Qualitative Exploration of Women's Preferences. Perspect Sex Reprod Health. 2020 09; 52(3):171-179. Wingo EE, Wascher JM, Stulberg DB, Freedman LR. PMID: 33191575.
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Abortion Policies in U.S. Teaching Hospitals: Formal and Informal Parameters Beyond the Law. Obstet Gynecol. 2020 06; 135(6):1296-1305. Zeldovich VB, Rocca CH, Langton C, Landy U, Ly ES, Freedman LR. PMID: 32459421.
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Exploring young women's reasons for adopting intrauterine or oral emergency contraception in the United States: a qualitative study. BMC Womens Health. 2020 01 28; 20(1):15. Kaller S, Mays A, Freedman L, Harper CC, Biggs MA. PMID: 31992295; PMCID: PMC6986082.
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Choosing a hospital for obstetric, gynecologic, or reproductive healthcare: what matters most to patients? Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM. 2020 02; 2(1):100067. Hebert LE, Freedman L, Stulberg DB. PMID: 33345982.
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Women's Expectation of Receiving Reproductive Health Care at Catholic and Non-Catholic Hospitals. Perspect Sex Reprod Health. 2019 09; 51(3):135-142. Stulberg DB, Guiahi M, Hebert LE, Freedman LR. PMID: 31483947.
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The Zero Trimester: Pre-Pregnancy Care and the Politics of Reproductive Risk. Contemporary Sociology A Journal of Reviews. 2019 Jan 10; 48(1):107-108. Freedman FL. .View in: Publisher Site Mentions:
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Promoting medical student self-awareness through a challenging patient workshop. Med Educ. 2018 11; 52(11):1193-1194. Steinauer J, Baron M, Freedman L, Perrucci A, Dehlendorf C, Cipriano SD. PMID: 30280419.
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Do women know whether their hospital is Catholic? Results from a national survey. Contraception. 2018 12; 98(6):498-503. Wascher JM, Hebert LE, Freedman LR, Stulberg DB. PMID: 29856965.
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Expanding the Abortion Provider Workforce: A Qualitative Study of Organizations Implementing a New California Policy. Perspect Sex Reprod Health. 2018 03; 50(1):33-39. Battistelli MF, Magnusson S, Biggs MA, Freedman L. PMID: 29443434.
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Religious hospital policies on reproductive care: what do patients want to know? Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2018 02; 218(2):251.e1-251.e9. Freedman LR, Hebert LE, Battistelli MF, Stulberg DB. PMID: 29221943.
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Abortion opposition and interprofessional conflict: a national survey of obstetrics–gynecology teaching hospitals. Contraception. 2017 Oct 1; 96(4):265. Rocca RC, Freedman FL, Langton LC, Ly LE, Landy LU. .View in: Publisher Site Mentions:
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Abortion care policies and enforcement in U.S. obstetrics–gynecology teaching hospitals: a national survey. Contraception. 2017 Oct 1; 96(4):265. Freedman FL, Langton LC, Landy LU, Ly LE, Rocca RC. .View in: Publisher Site Mentions:
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Do women know when their hospital is Catholic and how this affects their care? Findings from the Patient Awareness of Religious Restrictions in Catholic Hospitals (PARRCH) national survey. Contraception. 2017 Oct 1; 96(4):268-269. Stulberg SD, Wascher WJ, Geng GC, Freedman FL. .View in: Publisher Site Mentions:
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A good abortion experience: A qualitative exploration of women's needs and preferences in clinical care. Soc Sci Med. 2017 10; 191:109-116. Altshuler AL, Ojanen-Goldsmith A, Blumenthal PD, Freedman LR. PMID: 28917139.
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Institutional Religious Policies That Follow Obstetricians and Gynecologists Into Practice. J Grad Med Educ. 2017 Aug; 9(4):447-450. Steinauer J, Freedman L. PMID: 28824756; PMCID: PMC5559238.
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"She's on her own": a thematic analysis of clinicians' comments on abortion referral. Contraception. 2017 May; 95(5):470-476. Homaifar N, Freedman L, French V. PMID: 28131650.
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Abortion Stigma Among Low-Income Women Obtaining Abortions in Western Pennsylvania: A Qualitative Assessment. Perspect Sex Reprod Health. 2017 03; 49(1):29-36. Gelman A, Rosenfeld EA, Nikolajski C, Freedman LR, Steinberg JR, Borrero S. PMID: 27984674; PMCID: PMC5572656.
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The Stratified Legitimacy of Abortions. J Health Soc Behav. 2016 12; 57(4):503-516. Kimport K, Weitz TA, Freedman L. PMID: 27856971.
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Policy Brief. J Health Soc Behav. 2016 12; 57(4):502. Kimport K, Weitz TA, Freedman L. PMID: 27856970.
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Referrals for Services Prohibited In Catholic Health Care Facilities. Perspect Sex Reprod Health. 2016 09; 48(3):111-7. Stulberg DB, Jackson RA, Freedman LR. PMID: 27467888.
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The Research Consortium on Religious Healthcare Institutions: studying the impact of religious restrictions on women's reproductive health. Contraception. 2016 07; 94(1):6-10. Freedman LR, Stulberg DB. PMID: 27036301.
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Exploring the Role of Faith-Based Organizations in Addressing Adolescent Relationship Abuse. Violence Against Women. 2016 Apr; 22(5):609-24. Li E, Freedman LR, Fernandez Y Garcia E, Miller E. PMID: 26466975; PMCID: PMC4785032.
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What constitutes a good abortion and a good birth? A qualitative analysis of women's pregnancy experiences. Contraception. 2015 Oct 1; 92(4):365-366. Altshuler AA, Ojanen-Goldsmith OA, Blumenthal BP, Freedman FL. .View in: Publisher Site Mentions:
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Radical or routine? Nurse practitioners, nurse-midwives, and physician assistants as abortion providers. Reprod Health Matters. 2015 May; 23(45):90-2. Freedman L, Battistelli MF, Gerdts C, McLemore M. PMID: 26278836.
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Race and reproductive coercion: a qualitative assessment. Womens Health Issues. 2015 May-Jun; 25(3):216-23. Nikolajski C, Miller E, McCauley HL, Akers A, Schwarz EB, Freedman L, Steinberg J, Ibrahim S, Borrero S. PMID: 25748823; PMCID: PMC4430345.
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Women know best--findings from a thematic analysis of 5,214 surveys of abortion care experience. Womens Health Issues. 2014 Nov-Dec; 24(6):594-9. McLemore MR, Desai S, Freedman L, James EA, Taylor D. PMID: 25442704.
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"It just happens": a qualitative study exploring low-income women's perspectives on pregnancy intention and planning. Contraception. 2015 Feb; 91(2):150-6. Borrero S, Nikolajski C, Steinberg JR, Freedman L, Akers AY, Ibrahim S, Schwarz EB. PMID: 25477272; PMCID: PMC4303515.
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Tubal ligation in Catholic hospitals: a qualitative study of ob-gyns' experiences. Contraception. 2014 Oct; 90(4):422-8. Stulberg DB, Hoffman Y, Dahlquist IH, Freedman LR. PMID: 24912729; PMCID: PMC4154979.
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Impact of partial participation in integrated family planning training on medical knowledge, patient communication and professionalism. Contraception. 2014 Apr; 89(4):278-85. Steinauer JE, Turk JK, Preskill F, Devaskar S, Freedman L, Landy U. PMID: 24582354.
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How clinicians develop confidence in their competence in performing aspiration abortion. Qual Health Res. 2014 Jan; 24(1):78-89. Freedman L, Levi A. PMID: 24265103.
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Conflicts in Care for Obstetric Complications in Catholic Hospitals. AJOB Primary Research. 2013; 4(4):1-10. Freedman, LR Stulberg, DB. View Publication.
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Conflicts in Care for Obstetric Complications in Catholic Hospitals. AJOB Empirical Bioethics. 2013 Oct 1; 4(4):121220231819001. Freedman FL, Stulberg SD. .View in: Publisher Site Mentions:
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Tubal sterilization in catholic hospitals: the rules and realities from ob/gyns' perspectives. Contraception. 2012 Sep 1; 86(3):322. Stulberg SD, Freedman FL. .View in: Publisher Site Mentions:
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Postabortion contraception: qualitative interviews on counseling and provision of long-acting reversible contraceptive methods. Perspect Sex Reprod Health. 2012 Jun; 44(2):100-6. Morse J, Freedman L, Speidel JJ, Thompson KM, Stratton L, Harper CC. PMID: 22681425.
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The Politics of Motherhood Meets the Politics of Poverty. Contemporary Sociology A Journal of Reviews. 2012 Jan 1; 41(1):36-42. Freedman FL, Weitz WT. .View in: Publisher Site Mentions:
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Women's decision making regarding choice of second trimester termination method for pregnancy complications. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2012 Mar; 116(3):244-8. Kerns J, Vanjani R, Freedman L, Meckstroth K, Drey EA, Steinauer J. PMID: 22169044.
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Resistance and vulnerability to stigmatization in abortion work. Soc Sci Med. 2011 Nov; 73(9):1357-64. O'Donnell J, Weitz TA, Freedman LR. PMID: 21940082.
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Informing abortion counseling: an examination of evidence-based practices used in emotional care for other stigmatized and sensitive health issues. Patient Educ Couns. 2010 Dec; 81(3):415-21. Upadhyay UD, Cockrill K, Freedman LR. PMID: 20926226.
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Counseling women with early pregnancy failure: utilizing evidence, preserving preference. Patient Educ Couns. 2010 Dec; 81(3):454-61. Wallace RR, Goodman S, Freedman LR, Dalton VK, Harris LH. PMID: 21093193.
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Obstacles to the integration of abortion into obstetrics and gynecology practice. Perspect Sex Reprod Health. 2010 Sep; 42(3):146-51. Freedman L, Landy U, Darney P, Steinauer J. PMID: 20887283.
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Obstetrician-gynecologist experiences with abortion training: physician insights from a qualitative study. Contraception. 2010 Jun; 81(6):525-30. Freedman L, Landy U, Steinauer J. PMID: 20472121.
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When there's a heartbeat: miscarriage management in Catholic-owned hospitals. Am J Public Health. 2008 Oct; 98(10):1774-8. Freedman LR, Landy U, Steinauer J. PMID: 18703442; PMCID: PMC2636458.
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Advance supply of emergency contraception. effect on use and usual contraception--a randomized trial. Obstet Gynecol. 2003 Jul; 102(1):8-16. Jackson RA, Schwarz EB, Freedman L, Darney P. PMID: 12850599.
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Advance Supply of Emergency Contraception. Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2003 Jul 1; 102(1):8-16. Jackson JR, Schwarz SE, Freedman FL, Darney DP. .View in: Publisher Site Mentions:
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