A cross-sectional survey of U.S. abortion patients' interest in obtaining medication abortion over the counter.

Objective: To assess abortion patients' perspectives about a hypothetical option to access medication abortion over the counter without a prescription.

Study Design: From October 2019 to March 2020, people ages 15 and over seeking abortion at 7 facilities across the United States completed a cross-sectional, self-administered survey regarding their personal interest in and general support for accessing medication abortion over the counter, including the advantages and disadvantages of over-the-counter access. We used multivariable logistic regression with generalized estimating equations to assess associations between experiencing barriers that led to delay in obtaining abortion care and personal interest in and general support for accessing medication abortion over the counter.

Accuracy of self-assessment of gestational duration among people seeking abortion.

Background: Mifepristone, used together with misoprostol, is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for medication abortion through 10 weeks' gestation. Although in-person ultrasound is frequently used to establish medication abortion eligibility, previous research demonstrates that people seeking abortion early in pregnancy can accurately self-assess gestational duration using the date of their last menstrual period.

Objective: In this study, we establish the screening performance of a broader set of questions for self-assessment of gestational duration among a sample of people seeking abortion at a wide range of gestations.

Home pregnancy test use and timing of pregnancy confirmation among people seeking health care.

Objectives: Understanding the timing of pregnancy suspicion and confirmation, including the role of home pregnancy tests, can facilitate earlier entry into pregnancy-related care and identify individuals likely to be impacted by gestation-based abortion restrictions.

Study Design: We use data from 259 pregnant individuals participating in a cross-sectional survey at 8 primary and reproductive health care clinics in 6 U.S.

Effect of Knowledge of Self-removability of Intrauterine Contraceptives on Uptake, Continuation, and Satisfaction.

Objective: Preference for control over use is a consideration in choosing a contraceptive method. Counseling women on the possibility of intrauterine device (IUD) self-removal may increase interest in the method. This study tests whether counseling on self-removability as a stated feature of IUDs affects uptake, satisfaction, and continuation.

Projections and opinions from 100 experts in long-acting reversible contraception.

Objective: This survey of published researchers of long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) examines their opinions about important barriers to LARC use in the United States (US), projections for LARC use in the absence of barriers and attitudes toward incentives for clinicians to provide and women to use LARC methods.

Study Design: We identified 182 authors of 59 peer-reviewed papers on LARC use published since 2013. A total of 104 completed an internet survey.

Interest in and experience with IUD self-removal.

Objectives: In the United States, the popularity of intrauterine devices (IUDs) is low despite many positive attributes such as high effectiveness and ease of use. The requirement that a clinician remove the IUD may limit US women's interest in the method. Our objective was to describe women's experience with self-removal and its effect on attitudes toward the method.

Implementing a prospective study of women seeking abortion in the United States: understanding and overcoming barriers to recruitment.

Background: The Turnaway Study is designed to prospectively study the outcomes of women who sought-but did not all obtain-abortions. This design permits more accurate inferences about the health consequences of abortion for women, but requires the recruitment of a large number of women from remote health care facilities to a study a sensitive topic. This paper explores the Turnaway Study's recruitment process.

Denial of abortion because of provider gestational age limits in the United States.

Objectives: We examined the factors influencing delay in seeking abortion and the outcomes for women denied abortion care because of gestational age limits at abortion facilities.

Methods: We compared women who presented for abortion care who were under the facilities' gestational age limits and received an abortion (n = 452) with those who were just over the gestational age limits and were denied an abortion (n = 231) at 30 US facilities. We described reasons for delay in seeking services.

Predictors of abortion counseling receipt and helpfulness in the United States.

Background: Little is known about women's expectations, needs, and experiences with abortion counseling and the factors that influence their experiences.

Methods: This study sought to investigate individual- and facility-level factors that influenced women's reports of receiving abortion counseling and the helpfulness of counseling. Data were drawn from quantitative interviews with 718 patients recruited from 30 abortion facilities, and 27 interviews with facility informants in the United States.

Patient education and emotional support practices in abortion care facilities in the United States.

Purpose: Little is known about how patient education and emotional support is provided at abortion facilities. This pilot study documents 27 facilities' practices in this aspect of abortion care.

Methods: We conducted confidential telephone interviews with staff from 27 abortion facilities about their practices.

Formative research on MySpace: online methods to engage hard-to-reach populations.

The Internet, particularly online social networks, can be an effective and culturally relevant communications channel to engage hard-to-reach populations with HIV prevention interventions. This article describes the process of conducting formative research on a popular social networking site, MySpace, in an effort to involve youth of color in design of programmatic content and formats for an Internet intervention. We discovered that asynchronous focus groups worked well to engage hard-to-reach populations.

Echocardiographic evaluation of left and right ventricular function in mild hypertension.

Thirty-one cases of untreated 'mild hypertension' and equal number of age and sex matched controls with 'normal' blood pressure were evaluated by echocardiography. Patients with mild hypertension had significantly increased left ventricular mass index, concentric remodeling, and diastolic dysfunction. Thickness of right ventricular anterior wall, flow velocities across tricuspid and pulmonary valves were also significantly higher in hypertensives.

Abnormal liver test results in myotonic dystrophy.

Myotonic dystrophy (DM) is an autosomal dominant multisystem disorder. Little evidence suggests the existence of liver damage in a small number of patients. We have prospectively evaluated liver and gallbladder function in 53 patients with DM in relation to clinical and genetic parameters.