Prenatal and Postpartum Home Visits and Postpartum Contraceptive Use: A Cross-Sectional Analysis.

The postpartum period is a time of unmet contraceptive need for many women. Home visits by a health care worker during pregnancy or after delivery could increase postpartum contraceptive use and decrease barriers to accessing postpartum care. This study investigated the association between prenatal or postpartum home visits and postpartum contraceptive use using a large sample of U.

Incorporating Cardiovascular Risk Assessment into Adolescent Reproductive Health and Primary Care Visits.

Study Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the usability and feasibility of incorporating a cardiovascular risk assessment tool into adolescent reproductive health and primary care visits.

Design, Setting, And Participants: We recruited 60 young women ages 13-21 years to complete the HerHeart web-tool in 2 adolescent clinics in Atlanta, GA.

Main Outcome Measures: Participants rated the tool's usability via the Website Analysis and Measurement Inventory (WAMMI, range 0-95) and their perceived 10-year and lifetime risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) on a visual analog scale (range 0-10).

A 3-year Retrospective Review of Contraceptive Initiation, Continuation, Switching, and Pregnancy Among Adolescents and Young Adults.

Purpose: To understand contraceptive use patterns (initiation, switching, discontinuation) as well as associations with pregnancy in adolescents and young adults attending a teen family planning clinic.

Methods: We performed a chart review of adolescent and young adult patients (ages 12-20) attending a teen family planning clinic in Atlanta, GA between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2019. Using a standardized abstraction form with quality controls, we collected available data on contraceptive methods used and pregnancy test results during the 3-year period.

Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Testing Patterns Among Women with and Without Serious Mental Illness.

Rates of the sexually transmitted infections (STIs) Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC) have risen in women by 13% and 40%, respectively, since 2015. Women with Serious Mental Illness (SMI) are at disproportionate risk for STIs. A retrospective chart review was performed at a safety-net healthcare system in the Southeastern United States (US) from 2014 to 2017.

Assessing and Promoting Cardiovascular Health for Adolescent Women: User-Centered Design Approach.

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death among women in the United States. A considerable number of young women already have risk factors for CVD. Awareness of CVD and its risk factors is critical to preventing CVD, yet younger women are less aware of CVD prevalence, its risk factors, and preventative behaviors compared to older women.

Implementation of Title X Family Planning Services in Primary Care: A Qualitative Study of a Primary Care Network in Georgia.

Context: There is increasing interest and value in integrating family planning services into primary care. Title X services provide an opportunity to expand low-cost access to these services. This study sought to identify and describe implementation factors that influenced the integration of a package of Title X services into a unique primary care setting within a Georgia primary care network whose community health center sites are primarily federally qualified health centers.

2gether: A Clinic-Based Intervention to Increase Dual Protection from Sexually Transmitted Infections and Pregnancy in Young African American Females.

To determine whether the 2gether intervention increases use of a dual protection (DP; concurrent prevention of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections [STIs]) strategy and decreases pregnancy and STIs among young African American females, who disproportionately experience these outcomes. We conducted a randomized clinical trial comparing the 2gether intervention to standard of care (SOC). Participants were self-identified African American females aged 14-19 years who were sexually active with a male partner in the past 6 months.

The COVID-19 pandemic's impact on sexual and reproductive health in Georgia, USA: An exploration of behaviors, contraceptive care, and partner abuse.

Objective: Assessing access to sexual and reproductive health care during the COVID-19 pandemic, experiences with intimate partner violence (IPV), and exploring sociodemographic disparities STUDY DESIGN: From September 2020 to January 2021, we recruited 436 individuals assigned female at birth (18-49 years.) in Georgia, USA for an online survey. The final convenience sample was n = 423; a response rate could not be calculated.

Parental Involvement Policies for Minors Seeking Abortion in the Southeast and Quality of Care.

Introduction: Thirty-seven states require minors seeking abortion to involve a parent, either through notification or consent. Little research has examined how implementation of these laws affect service delivery and quality of care for those who involve a parent.

Methods: Between May 2018 and September 2019, in-depth interviews were conducted with 34 staff members involved in scheduling, counseling, and administration at abortion facilities in three Southeastern states.

Trends in Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Testing and Positivity Rates in a Safety Net Hospital in Georgia: 2014 to 2017.

Background: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the United States continue to increase at an alarming rate. Since 2015, reported cases of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC), the 2 most prevalent reportable STIs, have increased by 19% and 56%, respectively. Characterizing testing patterns could elucidate how CT/GC care and positivity have evolved over time in a high-risk urban setting and illustrate how patients use the health care system for their STI needs.

Analysis of Postpartum Uptake of Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives Before and After Implementation of Medicaid Reimbursement Policy.

Objectives: The postpartum period is a time of high unmet contraception need. Providing long-acting reversible contraception (LARC), particularly in the immediate postpartum period, is one strategy to meet contraceptive needs. This practice may also prevent unintended and short interpregnancy interval pregnancies.

Finding the Gaps in Retesting for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea: Differences Across High-Volume Testing Departments in an Urban Health Care Setting.

Background: The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention guidelines recommend that all patients be retested 3 months after a positive chlamydia (CT) or gonorrhea (GC) result. However, retest rates are generally low, and only a quarter of patients return to clinic for retesting. This analysis explored retesting patterns in a high sexually transmitted infection (STI)/human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-risk setting to illuminate gaps in adherence to guideline recommendations.

Exploring real-world experiences of early PrEP adopters in southern Germany.

Germany authorized reimbursement for PrEP and established PrEP provider training in 2019, much later than its Western European counterparts. Understanding the lived experiences of early adopters of PrEP could inform the ramp-up phase of PrEP implementation in Germany. The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of southern German men who started PrEP prior to 2019.

Who Is Practicing Expedited Partner Therapy and Why? Insights From Providers Working in Specialties With High Volumes of Sexually Transmitted Infections.

Background: Expedited partner therapy (EPT), the practice of prescribing antibiotics for sexual partners of patients, is underutilized in Georgia. This qualitative study in a large urban institution aimed to (1) characterize the clinical specialties that predominantly treat sexually transmitted infections (STIs), (2) identify perceived barriers to EPT, and (3) describe strategies to advance routine EPT use.

Methods: Providers in obstetrics/gynecology (OB/GYN), infectious disease (ID), and emergency medicine (EM) were interviewed using a structured discussion guide.

Contraception for Adolescents During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic.

Our recent publication, Providing Contraception for Young People During a Pandemic is Essential Healthcare, was written in response to the sudden shift towards low-contact or no-contact medicine in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ensuring access to contraception is essential as every 6 months of lockdown can result in 47 million women losing access to contraception, resulting in an additional 7 million of unintended pregnancies. We welcome the letters submitted by Alouini/Venslauskaite and Uzoigwe/Ali as they exemplify common misperceptions within the medical community about contraception.

Assessing Health and Wellness Outcomes of Medicaid-Enrolled Infants Born to Adolescent Mothers.

Objective: To assess the effect of adolescent birth on the health and wellness of these infants within their first year of life.

Methods: Our study focused on 2011 Medicaid births nationwide. The study group (infants born to adolescents, aged 10 to 19 at time of birth) was matched with infants born to adults (aged 20 to 44 at time of birth), based on demographics.

Knowledge and practice of induction of lactation in trans women among professionals working in trans health.

Background: Breastfeeding is emerging as an important reproductive rights issue in the care of trans and gender nonconforming people. This study sought to understand the tools available to professionals working in the field of trans health to help trans women induce lactation and explore the concept of unmet need.

Methods: In November 2018, we conducted a cross-sectional study which surveyed attendees at the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) symposium in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Reproductive Coercion Among African American Female Adolescents: Associations with Contraception and Sexually Transmitted Diseases.

Among adolescents, racial disparities in reproductive health outcomes persist. The question of whether reproductive coercion (RC) influences these outcomes has received increased attention. Little is known about whether RC is independently associated with contraceptive use and having a sexually transmitted disease (STD) among African American female adolescents.

Perspectives on HIV PrEP care in Germany: qualitative insights from primary care physicians and specialists.

Recently, research has shifted from investigating the effectiveness of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to strategizing its implementation. Several European studies have explored physicians' perspectives on implementing PrEP in diverse settings, yet there are no data on the situation in Germany. The purpose of this study was to explore physicians' perspectives on current PrEP care in Germany.

Implementation of Pregnancy Checklist into Clinic Workflow: A Quality Improvement Initiative.

Study Objective: This project aims to implement the Pregnancy Reasonably Excluded Guide in an outpatient family planning teen clinic using the EPIDEM quality improvement (QI) framework.

Design: Quality improvement.

Setting: Outpatient family planning teen clinic in an urban center.

Guidance on Expedited Partner Therapy: A Content Analysis of Informational Materials for Providers, Pharmacists, Patients, and Partners.

Background: The rates of sexually transmitted infections have steadily increased in the United States over the last 5 years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has endorsed the use of expedited partner therapy (EPT) as an evidence-based practice to prevent chlamydial reinfection in index patients and lower barriers to treatment for partners. State health departments release guidance on EPT for providers, but it is unclear if information is available for other key stakeholders, for example, pharmacists, patients, and partners.

Expert Interviews on Multilevel Barriers in Implementing Expedited Partner Therapy for Chlamydia.

Expedited partner therapy (EPT) is an evidence-based practice in which partners of patients with chlamydia are given antibiotics or a prescription for antibiotics without prior medical evaluation. This practice facilitates partner treatment and prevents reinfection of the patient. EPT remains underutilized due to multilevel implementation barriers.

Barriers to Purchasing Condoms in a High HIV/STI-Risk Urban Area.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have identified Atlanta, Georgia as a high-risk environment for STI/HIV infection. Condoms are an inexpensive and effective method for preventing STI/HIV infection. The majority of individuals acquire their condoms through purchase, rather than through free condom distribution programs.

Implementing condom distribution programs in the United States: Qualitative insights from program planners.

With the growing number of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among young people (15-24) in the US, condom distribution programs (CDP) remain an integral part of prevention strategies. The objective of the study was to gather qualitative insights from CDP planners to inform effective CDP implementation. Ten semi-structured interviews with program planners were conducted via telephone (response rate of 58.