Peers’ beliefs influence birth control use in rural Kenya

Throughout sub-Saharan Africa, a high percentage of women want to stop or delay childbearing but aren’t using birth control. Fear about side effects— real or perceived—is an important barrier to using birth control. One such fear is that contraception causes infertility. Bixby member Erica...

Louisiana abortions decreased at the start of the pandemic

Disruptions in the health care system during the COVID-19 pandemic impacted reproductive health services, including abortion. While many abortion clinics remained open and continued to provide care during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, most clinics in Louisiana did not. 

Greater travel distance to abortion services associated with lower abortion rates

Many states have implemented policies restricting abortion care clinicians and facilities. Such policies often result in clinic closures and inability to access care, which disproportionately impacts low-income women and non-white women. Clinic closures often result in increased travel to receive...

Reasons for pursuing self-managed abortion vary, as do experiences

Interest in self-managed abortion in the US has grown as states pass more restrictive laws. Research in recent years has shown that some people seek to terminate a pregnancy without medical assistance but has mainly focused on talking to people who eventually got an abortion at a clinic. New...

How to reduce anemia among women in rural India

More than half of women of reproductive age in India have some level of anemia because they do not have enough healthy red blood cells. Anemia can cause fatigue, lightheadedness, and dizziness, and may be improved by taking iron supplements. Efforts to reduce anemia in India have typically...

Improving family-centered care in the neonatal intensive care unit

Family care in neonatal intensive care units is a model that sees the infant’s family as a partner in caregiving. This approach includes family members in infant caregiving and decision making and provides support to families so they can be present and active in their infant’s care. Despite...

The importance of youth-centered maternity care

Adolescent pregnancy and childbirth is a key area of global health. Physicians highlight the unique needs of pregnant adolescents and the importance of tailoring their care. Yet there is little research on pregnant adolescents’ perspectives of their maternity care, or how their perspectives compare...

How to change an American medical system that harms Black maternal health

Monica McLemore and Karen Scott call for programs that recognize and serve the needs and dignity of Black people, which should improve care and outcomes everyone.

Community college students are worried about birth control costs

Ensuring access to contraception is an essential part of reproductive health care and autonomy. However, people face barriers to contraception such as lack of knowledge or financial limitations. Previous research has shown that young women don’t know a lot about the full range of available methods...

The failing safety net is harming reproductive health

Tracy Lin wrote about her research showing how economic and food insecurity during the pandemic affected women's reproductive health.