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:
- Abortion doesn't have to be illegal to be out of reach (op-ed) | The American Prospect
- Our research on abortion laws shows they are not based on facts and can even harm women (op-ed) | USA Today
- We already know what America would look like if Roe is overturned (op-ed) | Sacramento Bee
- Lack of Medicaid coverage blocked 29 percent of abortion seekers from getting the procedure, study says | Vox
- A new study reveals just how much the Hyde Amendment is hurting women | HuffPost
- These policies were supposed to stop pregnant women from drinking. A new study says they're hurting babies. | Vox
- Many women still can't easily access abortion, 46 years after Roe v. Wade | Elite Daily
- The truth about 7 lies you might hear at a crisis pregnancy center | Refinery29
- The problem with penalizing women who drink while pregnant | Glamour
- The House just passed a sweeping abortion funding ban. Here's what it does | Vox
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State abortion policies and Medicaid coverage for abortion are associated with pregnancy outcomes among individuals seeking abortion recruited using Google Ads: A national cohort study. Social Science & Medicine. 2021 Feb 1; 113747. Ushma D. Upadhyay, Ashley A. McCook, Ariana H. Bennett, Alice F. Cartwright, Sarah C.M. Roberts. .View in: Publisher Site Mentions:
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COVID-19 and Independent Abortion Providers: Findings from a Rapid-Response Survey. Perspect Sex Reprod Health. 2020 Dec 01. Roberts SCM, Schroeder R, Joffe C. PMID: 33289197.
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Miscarriage Treatment-Related Morbidities and Adverse Events in Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgery Centers, and Office-Based Settings. J Patient Saf. 2020 Dec; 16(4):e317-e323. Roberts SCM, Beam N, Liu G, Upadhyay UD, Leslie DL, Ba D, Kerns JL. PMID: 30516583.
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Adoption of no-test and telehealth medication abortion care among independent abortion providers in response to COVID-19. Contracept X. 2020; 2:100049. Upadhyay UD, Schroeder R, Roberts SCM. PMID: 33305255.View in: PubMed Mentions:
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P16 State abortion policies and ability to obtain an abortion. Contraception. 2020 Oct 1; 102(4):282. U. Upadhyay, A. McCook, A. Bennett, A. Cartwright, S. Roberts. .View in: Publisher Site Mentions:
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Good Intentions Are Not Enough: Truly Supporting Pregnant Women With Substance Use Disorders Requires Evaluating the Impact of Our Policies and Practices. Women's Reproductive Health. 2020 Jul 2; 7(3):181-184. Sarah C. M. Roberts. .View in: Publisher Site Mentions:
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A qualitative exploration of women's experiences discovering pregnancies in the emergency department. Contracept X. 2020; 2:100024. Roberts SCM, Wingo E, Kimport K. PMID: 32550539.View in: PubMed Mentions:
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Approaches, barriers, and facilitators to abortion-related work in U.S. health departments: perspectives of maternal and child heath and family planning professionals. BMC Public Health. 2020 Mar 06; 20(1):299. Berglas NF, Wingo E, Woodruff K, Roberts SCM. PMID: 32143665.
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Variations by Education Status in Relationships Between Alcohol/Pregnancy Policies and Birth Outcomes and Prenatal Care Utilization: A Legal Epidemiology Study. J Public Health Manag Pract. 2020 Mar/Apr; 26 Suppl 2, Advancing Legal Epidemiology:S71-S83. Roberts SCM, Mericle AA, Subbaraman MS, Thomas S, Kerr W, Berglas NF. PMID: 32004225.
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Experiences of harassment and empowerment after sharing personal abortion stories publicly. Contracept X. 2020; 2:100021. Woodruff K, Schroeder R, Herold S, Roberts SCM, Berglas NF. PMID: 32550536.View in: PubMed Mentions:
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Complex situations: Economic insecurity, mental health, and substance use among pregnant women who consider - but do not have - abortions. PLoS One. 2020; 15(1):e0226004. Roberts SCM, Berglas NF, Kimport K. PMID: 31940311.
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"My good friends on the other side of the aisle aren't bothered by those facts": U.S. State legislators' use of evidence in making policy on abortion. Contraception. 2020 04; 101(4):249-255. Woodruff K, Roberts SCM. PMID: 31881221.
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Consideration of and Reasons for Not Obtaining Abortion Among Women Entering Prenatal Care in Southern Louisiana and Baltimore, Maryland. Sexuality Research and Social Policy. 2019 Dec 1; 16(4):476-487. Sarah C. M. Roberts, Katrina Kimport, Rebecca Kriz, Jennifer Holl, Katrina Mark, Valerie Williams. .View in: Publisher Site Mentions:
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The Presence and Consequences of Abortion Aversion in Scientific Research Related to Alcohol Use during Pregnancy. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 08 13; 16(16). Roberts SCM. PMID: 31412544.
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The Health and Social Service Needs of Pregnant Women Who Consider but Do Not Have Abortions. Womens Health Issues. 2019 Sep - Oct; 29(5):364-369. Berglas NF, Kimport K, Williams V, Mark K, Roberts SCM. PMID: 31387774.
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Racial differences in the relationship between alcohol/pregnancy policies and birth outcomes and prenatal care utilization: A legal epidemiology study. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2019 08 01; 201:244-252. Roberts SCM, Berglas NF, Subbaraman MS, Mericle A, Thomas S, Kerr WC. PMID: 31255852.
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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 06 19; 19(1):78. Roberts SCM, Johns NE, Williams V, Wingo E, Upadhyay UD. PMID: 31215464.
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"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 05; 80(3):380-388. Woodruff K, Roberts SCM. PMID: 31250804.
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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. Roberts SCM, Mericle AA, Subbaraman MS, Thomas S, Treffers RD, Delucchi KL, Kerr WC. PMID: 30876695.
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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 03; 43(3):509-521. Martinez P, Kerr WC, Subbaraman MS, Roberts SCM. PMID: 30742317.
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Estimating the Prevalence of United States Women with Alcohol-exposed Pregnancies and Births. Womens Health Issues. 2019 Mar - Apr; 29(2):188-193. Roberts SCM, Thompson KM. PMID: 30651200.
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Differential Effects of Pregnancy-Specific Alcohol Policies on Drinking Among Pregnant Women by Race/Ethnicity. Health Equity. 2018; 2(1):356-365. Roberts SCM, Mericle AA, Subbaraman MS, Thomas S, Treffers RD, Delucchi KL, Kerr WC. PMID: 30560228.View in: PubMed Mentions:
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Association of Facility Type With Procedural-Related Morbidities and Adverse Events Among Patients Undergoing Induced Abortions. Obstetrical & Gynecological Survey. 2018 Dec 1; 73(12):693-694. Sarah C. M. Roberts, Ushma D. Upadhyay, Guodong Liu, Jennifer L. Kerns, Djibril Ba, Nancy Beam, Douglas L. Leslie. .View in: Publisher Site Mentions:
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Drug Use During Pregnancy Policies in the United States From 1970 to 2016. Contemporary Drug Problems. 2018 Dec 1; 45(4):441-459. Sue Thomas, Ryan Treffers, Nancy F. Berglas, Laurie Drabble, Sarah C. M. Roberts. .View in: Publisher Site Mentions:
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Admitting privileges and hospital-based care after presenting for abortion: A retrospective case series. Health Serv Res. 2019 04; 54(2):425-436. Upadhyay UD, Cartwright AF, Goyal V, Belusa E, Roberts SCM. PMID: 30423207.
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Healthcare expenditures for abortion and postabortion follow-up visits in ambulatory surgery centers vs. office-based settings. Contraception. 2018 Oct 1; 98(4):333. D Leslie, G Liu, D Ba, B Jones, S Roberts. .View in: Publisher Site Mentions:
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Should prenatal care providers offer pregnancy options counseling? BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2018 Sep 27; 18(1):384. Berglas NF, Williams V, Mark K, Roberts SCM. PMID: 30261849.
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Inclusion of LGBTQ persons in research related to pregnancy risk: a cognitive interview study. BMJ Sex Reprod Health. 2018 Sep 14. Ingraham N, Wingo E, Roberts SCM. PMID: 30217959.
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Association of Facility Type With Procedural-Related Morbidities and Adverse Events Among Patients Undergoing Induced Abortions. JAMA. 2018 06 26; 319(24):2497-2506. Roberts SCM, Upadhyay UD, Liu G, Kerns JL, Ba D, Beam N, Leslie DL. PMID: 29946727.
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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. Subbaraman MS, Thomas S, Treffers R, Delucchi K, Kerr WC, Martinez P, Roberts SCM. PMID: 29912478.
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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. Berglas NF, Johns NE, Rosenzweig C, Hunter LA, Roberts SCM. PMID: 28857971.
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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. Wingo E, Ingraham N, Roberts SCM. PMID: 29661698.
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Effects of Legislation Regulating Abortion in Arizona. Womens Health Issues. 2018 Jul - Aug; 28(4):297-300. Williams SG, Roberts S, Kerns JL. PMID: 29631976.
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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. Berglas NF, Roberts SCM. PMID: 29580284.
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The prevalence and impacts of crisis pregnancy center visits among a population of pregnant women. Contraception. 2018 07; 98(1):69-73. Kimport K, Kriz R, Roberts SCM. PMID: 29505747.
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Changes in Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Use Over Five Years After Receiving Versus Being Denied a Pregnancy Termination. J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2018 03; 79(2):293-301. Roberts SCM, Foster DG, Gould H, Biggs MA. PMID: 29553359.
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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. Foster DG, Biggs MA, Ralph L, Gerdts C, Roberts S, Glymour MM. PMID: 29345993.
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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.
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Predictors of timing of pregnancy discovery. Contraception. 2018 04; 97(4):303-308. PMID: 29242084.
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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. Roberts SCM, Thomas S, Treffers R, Drabble L. PMID: 29016712.
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A 21st-Century Public Health Approach to Abortion. Am J Public Health. 2017 12; 107(12):1878-1882. Roberts SCM, Fuentes L, Berglas NF, Dennis AJ. PMID: 29048963.
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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.
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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. Biggs MA, Roberts SCM. PMID: 28957488.
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Best practices for LGBTQ inclusion and exclusion in reproductive health research. Contraception. 2017 Oct 1; 96(4):299. N Ingraham, E Wingo, DG Foster, S Roberts. .View in: Publisher Site Mentions:
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Womenâs experiences with crisis pregnancy centers. Contraception. 2017 Oct 1; 96(4):276. R Kriz, K Kimport, S Roberts. .View in: Publisher Site Mentions:
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Evaluating the impact of a mandatory pre-abortion ultrasound viewing law: A mixed methods study. PLoS One. 2017; 12(7):e0178871. PMID: 28746377.
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Evaluating the impact of a mandatory ultrasound viewing law in Wisconsin: a mixed-methods study. Contraception. 2017 May 1; 95(5):518. U.D. Upadhyay, K. Kimport, E.K.O. Belusa, N.E. Johns, D. Laube, S.C.M. Roberts. .View in: Publisher Site Mentions:
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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.
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State-Mandated (Mis)Information and Women's Endorsement of Common Abortion Myths. Womens Health Issues. 2017 Mar - Apr; 27(2):129-135. PMID: 28131389.
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Measuring decisional certainty among women seeking abortion. Contraception. 2017 Mar; 95(3):269-278. PMID: 27745910.
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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.
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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.
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Conclusion Overreach in Alcohol and Pregnancy Article. J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2016 07; 77(4):667-8. PMID: 27340973.
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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.
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Which women are missed by primary health-care based interventions for alcohol and drug use? Addict Behav. 2016 Apr; 55:32-7. PMID: 26774493.
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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.
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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.
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Evaluating the psychometric properties of two decisional conflict scales among women seeking abortion in Utah. Contraception. 2015 Oct 1; 92(4):368-369. L. Ralph, D. Greene Foster, D.K. Turok, S. Roberts. .View in: Publisher Site Mentions:
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State law requiring FDA protocol for medication abortion is associated with increased need for additional interventions. Contraception. 2015 Oct 1; 92(4):367-368. U. Upadhyay, S. Combellick, N. Johns, J. Kohn, L. Keder, S. Roberts. .View in: Publisher Site Mentions:
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Decision Rightness and Emotional Responses to Abortion in the United States: A Longitudinal Study. PLoS One. 2015; 10(7):e0128832. PMID: 26154386.
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Implications of Georgia's 20-Week Abortion Ban. Am J Public Health. 2015 Aug; 105(8):e77-82. PMID: 26066924.
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Receiving Versus Being Denied a Pregnancy Termination and Subsequent Alcohol Use: A Longitudinal Study. Alcohol Alcohol. 2015 Jul; 50(4):477-84. PMID: 25787011.
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Implications for women of Louisiana's law requiring abortion providers to have hospital admitting privileges. Contraception. 2015 May; 91(5):368-72. PMID: 25744615.
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Receiving versus being denied an abortion and subsequent tobacco use. Matern Child Health J. 2015 Mar; 19(3):438-46. PMID: 24880251.
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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.
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Alcohol use before and during unwanted pregnancy. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2014 Nov; 38(11):2844-52. PMID: 25336245.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Volume and type of alcohol during early pregnancy and the risk of miscarriage. Subst Use Misuse. 2014 Sep; 49(11):1437-45. PMID: 24810392.
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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.
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Prior family planning experiences of obese women seeking abortion care. Womens Health Issues. 2014 Jan-Feb; 24(1):e125-30. PMID: 24439938.
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The role of intimate partners in women's reasons for seeking abortion. Womens Health Issues. 2014 Jan-Feb; 24(1):e131-8. PMID: 24439939.
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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 Mentions:
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Receiving versus being denied an abortion and subsequent drug use. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2014 Jan 01; 134:63-70. PMID: 24183616.
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Predictors of abortion counseling receipt and helpfulness in the United States. Womens Health Issues. 2013 Jul-Aug; 23(4):e249-55. PMID: 23816155.
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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 Mentions:
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American Journal of Public Health. Income Inequality, Alcohol Use, and Alcohol-Related Problems. 2013; 2(103). Karriker-Jaffe K, Roberts SC, Bond J.
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Effect of abortion protesters on women's emotional response to abortion. Contraception. 2013 Jan; 87(1):81-7. PMID: 23062524.
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Alcohol, tobacco and drug use as reasons for abortion. Alcohol Alcohol. 2012 Nov-Dec; 47(6):640-8. PMID: 22917755.
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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 Summer; 39(2):195. PMID: 23248388.View in: PubMed Mentions:
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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.
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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. Roberts, SC.
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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.
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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.
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Complex calculations: how drug use during pregnancy becomes a barrier to prenatal care. Matern Child Health J. 2011 Apr; 15(3):333-41. Roberts SC, Pies C. PMID: 20232126.
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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. Roberts SC. PMID: 21239417.
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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. Bond JC, Roberts SC, Greenfield TK, Korcha R, Ye Y, Nayak MB. PMID: 20623016.
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Women's perspectives on screening for alcohol and drug use in prenatal care. Womens Health Issues. 2010 May-Jun; 20(3):193-200. Roberts SC, Nuru-Jeter A. PMID: 20457407.
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Anxiety symptoms in rural Mexican adolescents: a social-ecological analysis. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2008 Dec; 43(12):1014-23. Ozer EJ, Fernald LC, Roberts SC. PMID: 19048326.
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Study design and participation rates of the New York City Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2004. Prev Chronic Dis. 2006 Jul; 3(3):A94. 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. PMID: 16776895.