March 2022 | Motivated by the increasing politicization of reproductive health issues in American society, Felicia Stewart, MD, and Tracy Weitz, PhD, MPA, cofounded ANSIRH in 2002 to create research evidence that could inform reproductive health policies, practices, and culture.
Twenty years later, ANSIRH is a leading voice for science in the most pressing debates on reproductive health, rights, and justice. Our 20th anniversary is a moment to mark the milestones we’ve achieved with you, our community. These achievements include contributing research that expanded abortion care in California, providing research and evidence in pivotal court cases against laws that restrict abortion access, and publishing landmark studies like the Turnaway Study. It is also a moment to renew our commitment to reproductive health research for the next 20 years.
As the conflict over abortion in the U.S. increases, ANSIRH has a critical role to play in documenting and studying this moment. Also, as many attacks on abortion access are based in misinformation and fallacies, we have a role in reminding decision-makers of the powerful research showing that abortion is a necessary part of healthcare for all people. In this moment, we have a responsibility to develop and test new strategies to expand access to care where possible.
Our first newsletter of 2022 kicks off our 20th anniversary with a commemorative logo (check out our website too!) and outlines ANSIRH’s latest contributions to reproductive health science. If you find this resource useful, please share widely with colleagues and friends.
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Study shows in-person ultrasound requirements to establish gestational duration are "not universally necessary"
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A new study authored by ANSIRH’s Lauren Ralph, PhD, MPH; Katherine Ehrenreich, MSc; M. Antonia Biggs, PhD; Natalie Morris, MPH; Daniel Grossman, MD; and collaborators, asked people seeking abortion a series of questions about how far along they thought they were in pregnancy. Researchers then compared their responses to their gestational duration on ultrasound. They found that broadening the screening questions beyond just the date of the last menstrual period resulted in improved accuracy of self-assessment in pregnancy duration. These findings suggest that policies requiring in-person ultrasound before providing medication abortion are not necessary. Read more. For a quick overview of this study, watch this three-minute video.
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Television in 2021 saw more medication abortion depictions than ever before, according to Abortion Onscreen report
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Despite the reality of nearly insurmountable barriers to abortion access in the U.S., entertainment television still largely fails to depict this reality, as noted in ANSIRH’s annual Abortion Onscreen report by Steph Herold, MPH, and Gretchen Sisson, PhD. However, compared to past years, in 2021 the investigators documented more TV portrayals of how to support someone before, during, and after an abortion and more uses of medication abortion, with variation regarding accuracy, stigma, and support. In total, 42 television shows, including hits like This Is Us, Queens, and Love Life, featured 47 abortion plotlines (compared with 32 in 2020). Read more.
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Both mainstream media and medicine can better integrate abortion, according to these ANSIRH researchers
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As the country awaits SCOTUS’ decision on Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, ANSIRH investigators are challenging mainstream narratives on abortion care, both in news media and medicine. Katie Woodruff, DrPH, spoke to Melissa Harris-Perry on The Takeaway about how the news media covers abortion. “People who have had abortions are almost completely missing from our news coverage. When those voices and stories are not included, we lose an opportunity to understand this issue as one that has real impact on real people's lives.” Similarly, Carole Joffe, PhD, wrote an op-ed for The Washington Post about abortion’s failure to become accepted as a routine part of reproductive health services. “Abortion care in America is in trouble, marginalized from the rest of medicine.”
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In the Media
To see a full list of our media highlights, click here.
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Texas Monthly, Texas Aimed to Ban Abortion Pills—But the Law Has Had Little Effect
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Femtastic, The Meaning of a 6-Week Ban on Abortion
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The Takeaway, How the Pandemic Deepened Maternal Health Disparities for Black Women
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AP News, Amid abortion rights threat, OB-GYNs more vocal with support
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Time, Abortion Pill Use Spikes As States and Courts Restrict Access
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NBC News, At-home abortion medication requests soared after Texas restrictions
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The Nation, We Need to Do More Than “Protect Roe”
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Bloomberg Businessweek, The Abortion Pill Is Safer Than Tylenol and Almost Impossible to Get
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Ms. Magazine, Most People Want Over-the-Counter Abortion Pills, New Study Finds
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AP News, Abortion rights funds brace for impact ahead of court ruling
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The New York Times, Abortion Opponents Hear a ‘Heartbeat.’ Most Experts Hear Something Else.
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Grid News, We already know what a post-Roe v. Wade nation will look like. Here’s the data.
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The American Independent, New study exposes flaws in GOP demands for medically unnecessary ultrasounds
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Kaiser Family Foundation, New FAQ Video Series Focuses on Pregnancy, Fertility and the COVID-19 Vaccines
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The New York Times, Anti-Abortion Marchers Gather With an Eye on the Supreme Court
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Glamour, What Happens to Women Who Are Denied Abortion? Here Are the Stats
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Elite Daily, Here’s What It Really Means To Be Denied An Abortion
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The New York Times, In Medicine, a Lack of Courage Has Helped Put Roe in Jeopardy
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NPR, Americans are divided on abortion. The Supreme Court may not wait for minds to change
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Rewire News Group, Adoption Agencies vs. ‘Roe’: The Invisible Hand Stirring the Pot
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Savage Lovecast, All About Abortion Medication with Dr. Daniel Grossman
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Research Highlights
To see a list of all our publications, click here.
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