Publications by authors named "Blair Darney"
A global scoping review of the circumstances of care seeking for abortion later in pregnancy.
PLOS Glob Public Health
December 2024
Article Synopsis
- * A scoping review of peer-reviewed literature was conducted, screening nearly 2,600 records to identify 78 relevant studies that shed light on barriers to timely abortion care post-12 weeks of gestation.
- * Key findings indicate common challenges such as health system issues, late recognition of pregnancy, financial barriers, and delayed decision-making, with low economic status and youth often linked to these circumstances.
Objectives: This study aimed to examine the association between state-level Immigration Policy Climate (IPC) and the use of most or moderately effective contraceptive methods among US-born White, US-born Mexican-origin, and foreign-born Mexican-origin women.
Study Design: We linked nationally representative survey data from three waves of the National Survey of Family Growth (2013-2019) with a novel and dynamic state-level measure of IPC. We compared the use of a most or moderately effective contraceptive method at the time of the survey among the three ethnicity and nativity groups alone and as an interaction with state IPC index score above or below the national mean in the year of the survey.
Article Synopsis
- The study aims to understand the follow-up care behavior of individuals who either self-managed medication abortions or received care from facilities in low-and-middle-income countries, focusing on person-centered care.
- Using thematic analysis from 67 in-depth interviews, researchers classified participants based on whether their follow-up care needs were met, analyzing factors from the Anderson model of health services utilization.
- Findings indicate that while 88% of participants had their needs met, various personal experiences, support systems, and knowledge significantly influenced their decision to seek follow-up care, with negative health system experiences serving as barriers for some.
Article Synopsis
- This study looked at women in Mexico City who used a public abortion program during the COVID-19 pandemic to see if the pandemic made it harder for some women to get help.
- They found that fewer women from outside the city could access the service during the pandemic compared to before.
- The research showed that the pandemic made it even tougher for some groups, especially teenagers and women with less education, to get abortions, so more services are needed across Mexico to help everyone equally.
Objectives: Misperceptions about intrauterine devices (IUDs) may dissuade potential users and public beliefs are not well understood. We sought to describe public knowledge of mechanism of action, failure rate, and IUD health risks. Secondary objectives included identifying inaccurate information and information sources about IUDs.
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- The research looked at how adapting to a new culture (acculturation) affects the ability of Mexican-origin Latinas in Oregon to make choices about their own reproduction.
- They found that women who are more culturally adapted (bicultural or high acculturated) had more freedom and confidence in making decisions about their reproductive health compared to those who were less adapted.
- The study showed that being bilingual and understanding both cultures helps improve women’s rights in making these important decisions.
Article Synopsis
- The study looked at how female Mexican doctors become pro-choice and what influences their beliefs about abortion.
- It involved interviews with 24 doctors to understand their experiences and views, revealing factors like feminism, personal experiences, role models, and exposure to abortion care.
- The study suggests that without proper training in abortion care, personal experiences can significantly shape a doctor’s pro-choice stance and how they advocate for women's rights.
Article Synopsis
- Researchers wanted to see if getting a COVID-19 vaccine at different times during a woman's menstrual cycle affected how long her cycle was.
- They looked at data from 19,497 women who tracked their cycles with an app and compared those who got the vaccine to those who didn't.
- Results showed that women vaccinated during the early part of their cycle had longer periods on average, while those vaccinated later or not at all didn’t see any change.
Objective: To describe utilization of prenatal care and outcomes of low birth weight and preterm birth among adolescent births in Mexico.
Methods: We used birth certificate data and included live births to individuals 10-24 years, 2008-2019. Our outcomes were binary measures of adequate prenatal care, low birth weight, and preterm birth.
Association between COVID-19 and vaccination on menstrual cycle.
Int J Gynaecol Obstet
February 2024
Objective: To evaluate changes in the menstrual pattern of women of reproductive age infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or vaccinated against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Methods: A cross-sectional study at the University of Campinas, Brazil using Google questionnaire applied from December 2021 through February 2022, disseminated through snowball technique. Participants responded about characteristics of their menstrual cycle before the pandemic and before COVID-19 vaccination, and then about characteristics of their cycle 3 months after infection with SARS-CoV-2 and 3 months after vaccination.
Objective: We describe awareness about the modified "public charge" rule among Oregon's Mexican-origin Latino/a population and whether concerns about the rule influenced disenrollment from state-funded programs, which do not fall under the public charge.
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of adults (ages 18-59) recruited at the Mexican consulate and living in the state of Oregon. Our outcomes were awareness (of the public charge, source of knowledge, and confidence in knowledge of the public charge) and disenrolling self or family members from state-funded public healthcare programs due to concerns about the rule.
Background: Young adults with low sexual health literacy levels may find it difficult to make informed decisions about contraceptive methods. We developed and pilot-tested a web-based decision aid-Healthy Sex Choices-designed to support diverse young adults with their contraceptive decision-making.
Objective: This pilot study aimed to evaluate whether the Healthy Sex Choices decision aid is acceptable and feasible to patients and clinicians.
Objective: We used the newly developed Abortion Care Quality Tool (ACQTool) to compare client-reported quality of medication abortion care by source (facility-managed vs pharmacy-sourced self-managed abortion (SMA)) in Bangladesh.
Methods: We leveraged exit and 30-day follow-up surveys collected to develop and validate the ACQTool collected at nongovernmental organisation (NGO)-supported or -operated facilities in the public and private sector and pharmacies from three districts in Bangladesh. We used bivariate statistics to compare 18 client-reported quality indicators grouped in six domains and eight abortion outcomes, by source (facility vs pharmacy).
Purpose: Community health centers (CHCs) provide critical health care access for people who experience high risks during and after pregnancy, however it is unclear to what extent they provide prenatal care. This study seeks to describe clinic and patient characteristics associated with longitudinal prenatal care delivery in CHC settings.
Methods: This retrospective cohort study utilized electronic health record (EHR) data from the Accelerating Data Value Across a National Community Health Center Network (ADVANCE) between 2018 to 2019 to describe prenatal care provision among CHCs ( = 408), and pregnant CHC patients ( = 28,578) and compared characteristics of patients who received longitudinal prenatal care at CHCs versus those who did not.
Objective: To assess whether coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with menstrual cycle length changes and, if so, how that compares with those undergoing vaccination or no event (control).
Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis in which we analyzed prospectively tracked cycle-length data from users of a period tracker application who also responded to a survey regarding COVID-19 symptoms and vaccination. We restricted our sample to users aged 16-45 years, with normal cycle lengths (24-38 days) and regular tracking behavior during the five cycles around COVID-19 symptoms or vaccination or a similar time period for those experiencing no event (control group).
Objective: To describe patterns of contraceptive method switching and long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) removal in a large network of community health centers.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using individual-level electronic health record data from 489 clinics in 20 states from 2016 to 2021. We used logistic regression models, including individual-, clinic-, and state-level covariates, to calculate adjusted odds ratios and predicted probabilities of any observed contraceptive method switching and LARC removal among those with baseline incident LARC, both over 4-year time periods.
Article Synopsis
- There’s a lot of misinformation out there that makes people think abortion is very dangerous for health, even though it’s actually safe.
- The study wanted to find out what people really think are the risks of having an abortion, looking at both short-term and long-term effects.
- They surveyed over 1,000 adults and found that most people thought the risks were much higher than what is actually known, especially for problems like bleeding and anxiety.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to determine whether COVID-19 vaccination affects menstrual bleeding patterns among individuals with regular cycles using a fertility tracking app.
- Involving 9,555 participants, results showed that most people experienced no changes in heavy bleeding days, regardless of vaccination status, and significant differences were not found between the groups after adjustments.
- However, a slight increase in overall bleeding quantity was observed in vaccinated individuals after the first dose, but this effect diminished in subsequent cycles.
Objective: To evaluate prenatal care utilization, low birth weight, and preterm birth among women aged 35 years and older in Mexico from 2008 to 2019.
Methods: We conducted a historical cohort study of all singleton live births in Mexico from 2008 to 2019. Outcomes were inadequate prenatal care, preterm birth, and low birth weight.