Sarah Roberts, DrPH

Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences
Public Health Social Scientist, Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health

Dr. Roberts' research interests include policies that affect women’s reproductive lives including both state-level abortion restrictions and Child Protective Services reporting policies for pregnant women who use alcohol and drugs. Dr. Roberts’ current research focuses on the impact of receiving versus being denied an abortion on women’s alcohol and drug use, evaluating state-level abortion restrictions and state-level policies targeting alcohol use during pregnancy, and developing a genuine public health approach to abortion facility standards. Dr. Roberts’ work has been published in Social Science & Medicine, Women’s Health Issues, Maternal and Child Health Journal, and Alcohol and Alcoholism. 

Education:

  • University of California, Berkeley, Doctorate in Public Health
  • University of Michigan, Masters in Public Health and a Graduate Certificate in Women’s Studies
  • Columbia University, Bachelors in History

In the news:

Publications: 
  1. Berglas NF, Kimport K, Williams V, Mark K, Roberts SCM. The Health and Social Service Needs of Pregnant Women Who Consider but Do Not Have Abortions. Womens Health Issues. 2019 Aug 03. PMID: 31387774.
    View in: PubMed
  2. Roberts SCM, Johns NE, Williams V, Wingo E, Upadhyay UD. Estimating the proportion of Medicaid-eligible pregnant women in Louisiana who do not get abortions when Medicaid does not cover abortion. BMC Womens Health. 2019 Jun 19; 19(1):78. PMID: 31215464.
    View in: PubMed
  3. Roberts SCM, Berglas NF, Subbaraman MS, Mericle A, Thomas S, Kerr WC. Racial differences in the relationship between alcohol/pregnancy policies and birth outcomes and prenatal care utilization: A legal epidemiology study. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2019 Aug 01; 201:244-252. PMID: 31255852.
    View in: PubMed
  4. Woodruff K, Roberts SCM. "Alcohol During Pregnancy? Nobody Does That Anymore": State Legislators' Use of Evidence in Making Policy on Alcohol Use in Pregnancy. J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2019 May; 80(3):380-388. PMID: 31250804.
    View in: PubMed
  5. Roberts SCM, Mericle AA, Subbaraman MS, Thomas S, Treffers RD, Delucchi KL, Kerr WC. State Policies Targeting Alcohol Use during Pregnancy and Alcohol Use among Pregnant Women 1985-2016: Evidence from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Womens Health Issues. 2019 May - Jun; 29(3):213-221. PMID: 30876695.
    View in: PubMed
  6. Martinez P, Kerr WC, Subbaraman MS, Roberts SCM. New Estimates of the Mean Ethanol Content of Beer, Wine, and Spirits Sold in the United States Show a Greater Increase in Per Capita Alcohol Consumption than Previous Estimates. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2019 Mar; 43(3):509-521. PMID: 30742317.
    View in: PubMed
  7. Roberts SCM, Thompson KM. Estimating the Prevalence of United States Women with Alcohol-exposed Pregnancies and Births. Womens Health Issues. 2019 Mar - Apr; 29(2):188-193. PMID: 30651200.
    View in: PubMed
  8. Roberts SCM, Mericle AA, Subbaraman MS, Thomas S, Treffers RD, Delucchi KL, Kerr WC. Differential Effects of Pregnancy-Specific Alcohol Policies on Drinking Among Pregnant Women by Race/Ethnicity. Health Equity. 2018; 2(1):356-365. PMID: 30560228.
    View in: PubMed
  9. Roberts SCM, Beam N, Liu G, Upadhyay UD, Leslie DL, Ba D, Kerns JL. Miscarriage Treatment-Related Morbidities and Adverse Events in Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgery Centers, and Office-Based Settings. J Patient Saf. 2018 Dec 03. PMID: 30516583.
    View in: PubMed
  10. Upadhyay UD, Cartwright AF, Goyal V, Belusa E, Roberts SCM. Admitting privileges and hospital-based care after presenting for abortion: A retrospective case series. Health Serv Res. 2019 Apr; 54(2):425-436. PMID: 30423207.
    View in: PubMed
  11. Roberts SCM, Kimport K, Kriz R, Holl J, Mark K, Williams V.Consideration of and Reasons for Not Obtaining Abortion Among Women Entering Prenatal Care in Southern Louisiana and Baltimore, Maryland. Journal of Sexuality Research and Social Policy. 2018.
  12. Berglas NF, Williams V, Mark K, Roberts SCM. Should prenatal care providers offer pregnancy options counseling? BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2018 Sep 27; 18(1):384. PMID: 30261849.
    View in: PubMed
  13. Ingraham N, Wingo E, Roberts SCM. Inclusion of LGBTQ persons in research related to pregnancy risk: a cognitive interview study. BMJ Sex Reprod Health. 2018 Sep 14. PMID: 30217959.
    View in: PubMed
  14. Thomas S, Treffers R, Berglas NF, Drabble L,Roberts SCM.Drug Use During Pregnancy Policies in the United States From 1970 to 2016. Contemporary Drug Problems. 2018; 4(45):441-459.
  15. Roberts SCM, Upadhyay UD, Liu G, Kerns JL, Ba D, Beam N, Leslie DL. Association of Facility Type With Procedural-Related Morbidities and Adverse Events Among Patients Undergoing Induced Abortions. JAMA. 2018 06 26; 319(24):2497-2506. PMID: 29946727.
    View in: PubMed
  16. Subbaraman MS, Thomas S, Treffers R, Delucchi K, Kerr WC, Martinez P, Roberts SCM. Associations Between State-Level Policies Regarding Alcohol Use Among Pregnant Women, Adverse Birth Outcomes, and Prenatal Care Utilization: Results from 1972 to 2013 Vital Statistics. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2018 Jun 18. PMID: 29912478.
    View in: PubMed
  17. Berglas NF, Johns NE, Rosenzweig C, Hunter LA, Roberts SCM. State and Local Health Department Activities Related to Abortion: A Web Site Content Analysis. J Public Health Manag Pract. 2018 May/Jun; 24(3):255-262. PMID: 28857971.
    View in: PubMed
  18. Wingo E, Ingraham N, Roberts SCM. Reproductive Health Care Priorities and Barriers to Effective Care for LGBTQ People Assigned Female at Birth: A Qualitative Study. Womens Health Issues. 2018 Jul - Aug; 28(4):350-357. PMID: 29661698.
    View in: PubMed
  19. Williams SG, Roberts S, Kerns JL. Effects of Legislation Regulating Abortion in Arizona. Womens Health Issues. 2018 Jul - Aug; 28(4):297-300. PMID: 29631976.
    View in: PubMed
  20. Berglas NF, Roberts SCM. The development of facility standards for common outpatient procedures and implications for the context of abortion. BMC Health Serv Res. 2018 03 27; 18(1):212. PMID: 29580284.
    View in: PubMed
  21. Kimport K, Kriz R, Roberts SCM. The prevalence and impacts of crisis pregnancy center visits among a population of pregnant women. Contraception. 2018 Jul; 98(1):69-73. PMID: 29505747.
    View in: PubMed
  22. Roberts SCM, Foster DG, Gould H, Biggs MA. Changes in Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Use Over Five Years After Receiving Versus Being Denied a Pregnancy Termination. J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2018 Mar; 79(2):293-301. PMID: 29553359.
    View in: PubMed
  23. 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 03; 108(3):407-413. PMID: 29345993.
    View in: PubMed
  24. Berglas NF, Battistelli MF, Nicholson WK, Sobota M, Urman RD, Roberts SCM. The effect of facility characteristics on patient safety, patient experience, and service availability for procedures in non-hospital-affiliated outpatient settings: A systematic review. PLoS One. 2018; 13(1):e0190975. PMID: 29304180.
    View in: PubMed
  25. McCarthy M, Upadhyay U, Biggs MA, Anthony R, Holl J, Roberts SC. Predictors of timing of pregnancy discovery. Contraception. 2018 04; 97(4):303-308. PMID: 29242084.
    View in: PubMed
  26. Roberts SCM, Thomas S, Treffers R, Drabble L. Forty Years of State Alcohol and Pregnancy Policies in the USA: Best Practices for Public Health or Efforts to Restrict Women's Reproductive Rights? Alcohol Alcohol. 2017 Nov 01; 52(6):715-721. PMID: 29016712.
    View in: PubMed
  27. Roberts SCM, Fuentes L, Berglas NF, Dennis AJ. A 21st-Century Public Health Approach to Abortion. Am J Public Health. 2017 12; 107(12):1878-1882. PMID: 29048963.
    View in: PubMed
  28. Gerdts C, Raifman S, Daskilewicz K, Momberg M, Roberts S, Harries J. Women's experiences seeking informal sector abortion services in Cape Town, South Africa: a descriptive study. BMC Womens Health. 2017 Oct 02; 17(1):95. PMID: 28969631.
    View in: PubMed
  29. Biggs MA, Roberts SCM. Fatal flaws in recent analysis on the risk of premature death following teenage abortion and childbirth. Eur J Public Health. 2017 10 01; 27(5):794. PMID: 28957488.
    View in: PubMed
  30. Upadhyay UD, Kimport K, Belusa EKO, Johns NE, Laube DW, Roberts SCM. Evaluating the impact of a mandatory pre-abortion ultrasound viewing law: A mixed methods study. PLoS One. 2017; 12(7):e0178871. PMID: 28746377.
    View in: PubMed
  31. 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
  32. Berglas NF, Gould H, Turok DK, Sanders JN, Perrucci AC, Roberts SC. State-Mandated (Mis)Information and Women's Endorsement of Common Abortion Myths. Womens Health Issues. 2017 Mar - Apr; 27(2):129-135. PMID: 28131389.
    View in: PubMed
  33. 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
  34. Roberts SC, Fuentes L, Kriz R, Williams V, Upadhyay UD. Corrigendum to "Implications for women of Louisiana's law requiring abortion providers to have hospital admitting privileges" [Contraception (2015) 91:368-72. doi: 10.1016/j.contraception.2015.02.001]. Contraception. 2017 02; 95(2):221-222. PMID: 27647624.
    View in: PubMed
  35. Upadhyay UD, Johns NE, Combellick SL, Kohn JE, Keder LM, Roberts SC. Comparison of Outcomes before and after Ohio's Law Mandating Use of the FDA-Approved Protocol for Medication Abortion: A Retrospective Cohort Study. PLoS Med. 2016 Aug; 13(8):e1002110. PMID: 27575488; PMCID: PMC5004901.
    View in: PubMed, PubMed Central
  36. Roberts S. Conclusion Overreach in Alcohol and Pregnancy Article. J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2016 07; 77(4):667-8. PMID: 27340973.
    View in: PubMed
  37. Roberts SC, Turok DK, Belusa E, Combellick S, Upadhyay UD. Utah's 72-Hour Waiting Period for Abortion: Experiences Among a Clinic-Based Sample of Women. Perspect Sex Reprod Health. 2016 12; 48(4):179-187. PMID: 27010515.
    View in: PubMed
  38. Roberts SC, Ralph LJ, Wilsnack SC, Foster DG. Which women are missed by primary health-care based interventions for alcohol and drug use? Addict Behav. 2016 Apr; 55:32-7. PMID: 26774493; PMCID: PMC4721246 [Available on 04/01/17].
    View in: PubMed, PubMed Central
  39. Roberts SC, Subbaraman MS, Delucchi KL, Wilsnack SC, Foster DG. Moderators and mediators of the relationship between receiving versus being denied a pregnancy termination and subsequent binge drinking. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2016 Feb 01; 159:117-24. PMID: 26747416.
    View in: PubMed
  40. Karasek D, Roberts SC, Weitz TA. Abortion Patients' Experience and Perceptions of Waiting Periods: Survey Evidence before Arizona's Two-visit 24-hour Mandatory Waiting Period Law. Womens Health Issues. 2016 Jan-Feb; 26(1):60-6. PMID: 26626710.
    View in: PubMed
  41. Rocca CH, Kimport K, Roberts SC, Gould H, Neuhaus J, Foster DG. Decision Rightness and Emotional Responses to Abortion in the United States: A Longitudinal Study. PLoS One. 2015; 10(7):e0128832. PMID: 26154386.
    View in: PubMed
  42. Roberts SC, Gould H, Upadhyay UD. Implications of Georgia's 20-Week Abortion Ban. Am J Public Health. 2015 Aug; 105(8):e77-82. PMID: 26066924.
    View in: PubMed
  43. Roberts SC, Delucchi K, Wilsnack SC, Foster DG. Receiving Versus Being Denied a Pregnancy Termination and Subsequent Alcohol Use: A Longitudinal Study. Alcohol Alcohol. 2015 Jul; 50(4):477-84. PMID: 25787011.
    View in: PubMed
  44. Roberts SC, Fuentes L, Kriz R, Williams V, Upadhyay UD. Implications for women of Louisiana's law requiring abortion providers to have hospital admitting privileges. Contraception. 2015 May; 91(5):368-72. PMID: 25744615.
    View in: PubMed
  45. Roberts SC, Foster DG. Receiving versus being denied an abortion and subsequent tobacco use. Matern Child Health J. 2015 Mar; 19(3):438-46. PMID: 24880251.
    View in: PubMed
  46. Foster DG, Steinberg JR, Roberts SC, Neuhaus J, Biggs MA. A comparison of depression and anxiety symptom trajectories between women who had an abortion and women denied one. Psychol Med. 2015 Jul; 45(10):2073-82. PMID: 25628123; PMCID: PMC5004731.
    View in: PubMed, PubMed Central
  47. Roberts SC, Wilsnack SC, Foster DG, Delucchi KL. Alcohol use before and during unwanted pregnancy. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2014 Nov; 38(11):2844-52. PMID: 25336245; PMCID: PMC4245368.
    View in: PubMed, PubMed Central
  48. Roberts SC, Biggs MA, Chibber KS, Gould H, Rocca CH, Foster DG. Risk of violence from the man involved in the pregnancy after receiving or being denied an abortion. BMC Med. 2014 Sep 29; 12:144. PMID: 25262880; PMCID: PMC4182793.
    View in: PubMed, PubMed Central
  49. Roberts SC, Zahnd E, Sufrin C, Armstrong MA. Does adopting a prenatal substance use protocol reduce racial disparities in CPS reporting related to maternal drug use? A California case study. J Perinatol. 2015 Feb; 35(2):146-50. PMID: 25233193.
    View in: PubMed
  50. Mauldon J, Foster DG, Roberts SC. Effect of abortion vs. carrying to term on a woman's relationship with the man involved in the pregnancy. Perspect Sex Reprod Health. 2015 Mar; 47(1):11-8. PMID: 25199435.
    View in: PubMed
  51. Harris LF, Roberts SC, Biggs MA, Rocca CH, Foster DG. Perceived stress and emotional social support among women who are denied or receive abortions in the United States: a prospective cohort study. BMC Womens Health. 2014 Jun 19; 14:76. PMID: 24946971; PMCID: PMC4080695.
    View in: PubMed, PubMed Central
  52. Avalos LA, Roberts SC, Kaskutas LA, Block G, Li DK. Volume and type of alcohol during early pregnancy and the risk of miscarriage. Subst Use Misuse. 2014 Sep; 49(11):1437-45. PMID: 24810392; PMCID: PMC4183196.
    View in: PubMed, PubMed Central
  53. Roberts SC, Gould H, Kimport K, Weitz TA, Foster DG. Out-of-pocket costs and insurance coverage for abortion in the United States. Womens Health Issues. 2014 Mar-Apr; 24(2):e211-8. PMID: 24630423.
    View in: PubMed
  54. Chibber KS, Biggs MA, Roberts SC, Foster DG. The role of intimate partners in women's reasons for seeking abortion. Womens Health Issues. 2014 Jan-Feb; 24(1):e131-8. PMID: 24439939.
    View in: PubMed
  55. Ingraham N, Roberts SC, Weitz TA. Prior family planning experiences of obese women seeking abortion care. Womens Health Issues. 2014 Jan-Feb; 24(1):e125-30. PMID: 24439938.
    View in: PubMed
  56. Drabble L, Thomas S, O'Connor L, Roberts SC. State Responses to Alcohol Use and Pregnancy: Findings From the Alcohol Policy Information System (APIS). J Soc Work Pract Addict. 2014 Jan 01; 14(2):191-206. PMID: 24910541.
    View in: PubMed
  57. Roberts SCM, Rocca CH, Foster DG. Receiving versus being denied an abortion and subsequent drug use. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2014 Jan 01; 134:63-70. PMID: 24183616.
    View in: PubMed
  58. Gould H, Foster DG, Perrucci AC, Barar RE, Roberts SC. Predictors of abortion counseling receipt and helpfulness in the United States. Womens Health Issues. 2013 Jul-Aug; 23(4):e249-55. PMID: 23816155.
    View in: PubMed
  59. Roberts SC, Bond J, Korcha R, Greenfield TK. Genderedness of bar drinking culture and alcohol-related harms: A multi-country study. Int J Ment Health Addict. 2013 Feb; 11(1):50-63. PMID: 23710158.
    View in: PubMed
  60. Karriker-Jaffe K, Roberts SC, Bond J.American Journal of Public Health. Income Inequality, Alcohol Use, and Alcohol-Related Problems. 2013; 2(103).
  61. Foster DG, Kimport K, Gould H, Roberts SC, Weitz TA. Effect of abortion protesters on women's emotional response to abortion. Contraception. 2013 Jan; 87(1):81-7. PMID: 23062524.
    View in: PubMed
  62. Roberts SC, Avalos LA, Sinkford D, Foster DG. Alcohol, tobacco and drug use as reasons for abortion. Alcohol Alcohol. 2012 Nov-Dec; 47(6):640-8. PMID: 22917755.
    View in: PubMed
  63. Roberts SC. Macro-level gender equality and alcohol consumption: a multi-level analysis across U.S. States. Soc Sci Med. 2012 Jul; 75(1):60-8. PMID: 22521679; PMCID: PMC4086912.
    View in: PubMed, PubMed Central
  64. Roberts SC. Whether men or women are responsible for size of gender gap in alcohol consumption depends on alcohol measure: A study across U.S. states. Contemp Drug Probl. 2012; 39(2):195. PMID: 23248388.
    View in: PubMed
  65. Roberts, SC.Whether Men or Women are Responsible for the Size of Gender Gap in Alcohol Consumption Depends on Alcohol Measure: A Study Across the United States. Contemporary Drug Problems. 2012; 2(32):195-212.
  66. Roberts SC, Nuru-Jeter A. Universal screening for alcohol and drug use and racial disparities in child protective services reporting. J Behav Health Serv Res. 2012 Jan; 39(1):3-16. PMID: 21681593; PMCID: PMC3297420.
    View in: PubMed, PubMed Central
  67. Roberts SC, Nuru-Jeter A. Universal alcohol/drug screening in prenatal care: a strategy for reducing racial disparities? Questioning the assumptions. Matern Child Health J. 2011 Nov; 15(8):1127-34. PMID: 21107668; PMCID: PMC3135764.
    View in: PubMed, PubMed Central
  68. Roberts SC, Pies C. Complex calculations: how drug use during pregnancy becomes a barrier to prenatal care. Matern Child Health J. 2011 Apr; 15(3):333-41. PMID: 20232126.
    View in: PubMed
  69. Roberts SC. What can alcohol researchers learn from research about the relationship between macro-level gender equality and violence against women? Alcohol Alcohol. 2011 Mar-Apr; 46(2):95-104. PMID: 21239417; PMCID: PMC3104612.
    View in: PubMed, PubMed Central
  70. Bond JC, Roberts SC, Greenfield TK, Korcha R, Ye Y, Nayak MB. Gender differences in public and private drinking contexts: a multi-level GENACIS analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2010 05; 7(5):2136-60. PMID: 20623016; PMCID: PMC2898041.
    View in: PubMed, PubMed Central
  71. Roberts SC, Nuru-Jeter A. Women's perspectives on screening for alcohol and drug use in prenatal care. Womens Health Issues. 2010 May-Jun; 20(3):193-200. PMID: 20457407.
    View in: PubMed
  72. Ozer EJ, Fernald LC, Roberts SC. Anxiety symptoms in rural Mexican adolescents: a social-ecological analysis. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2008 Dec; 43(12):1014-23. PMID: 19048326.
    View in: PubMed
  73. Thorpe LE, Gwynn RC, Mandel-Ricci J, Roberts S, Tsoi B, Berman L, Porter K, Ostchega Y, Curtain LR, Montaquila J, Mohadjer L, Frieden TR. Study design and participation rates of the New York City Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2004. Prev Chronic Dis. 2006 Jul; 3(3):A94. PMID: 16776895; PMCID: PMC1637802.
    View in: PubMed, PubMed Central