Comparison of No-Test Telehealth and In-Person Medication Abortion.

Importance: In the US, access to medication abortion using history-based (no-test) eligibility assessment, including through telehealth and mailing of mifepristone, has grown rapidly. Additional evidence on the effectiveness and safety of these models is needed. Objective: To evaluate whether medication abortion with no-test eligibility assessment and mailing of medications is as effective as in-person care with ultrasonography and safe overall. Design, Setting, and Participants: Prospective, observational study with noninferiority analysis. Sites included 4 abortion-providing organizations in Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Virginia, and Washington from May 2021 to March 2023. Eligible patients were seeking medication abortion up to and including 70 days' gestation, spoke English or Spanish, and were aged 15 years or older. Exposure: Study groups reflected the model of care selected by the patient and clinicians and included: (1) no-test (telehealth) eligibility assessment and mailing of medications (no-test + mail) (n = 228); (2) no-test eligibility assessment and pickup of medications (no-test + pickup) (n = 119); or (3) in-person with ultrasonography (n = 238). Main Outcomes and Measures: Effectiveness, defined as a complete abortion without the need for repeating the mifepristone and misoprostol regimen or a follow-up procedure, and safety, defined as an abortion-related serious adverse event, including overnight hospital admission, surgery, or blood transfusion. Outcomes were derived from patient surveys and medical records. Primary analysis focused on the comparison of the no-test + mail group with the in-person with ultrasonography group. Results: The mean age of the participants (N = 585) was 27.3 years; most identified as non-Hispanic White (48.6%) or non-Hispanic Black (28.1%). Median (IQR) gestational duration was 45 days (39-53) and comparable between study groups (P = .30). Outcome data were available for 91.8% of participants. Overall effectiveness was 94.4% (95% CI, 90.7%-99.2%) in the no-test + mail group and 93.3% (95% CI, 88.3%-98.2%) in the in-person with ultrasonography group in adjusted models (adjusted risk difference, 1.2 [95% CI, -4.1 to 6.4]), meeting the prespecified 5% noninferiority margin. Serious adverse events included overnight hospitalization (n = 4), blood transfusion (n = 2), and emergency surgery (n = 1) and were reported by 1.1% (95% CI, 0.4%-2.4%) of participants, with 3 in the no-test + mail group, 3 in the in-person with ultrasonography group, and none in the no-test + pickup group. Conclusions and Relevance: This prospective, observational study found that medication abortion obtained following no-test telehealth screening and mailing of medications was associated with similar rates of complete abortion compared with in-person care with ultrasonography and met prespecified criteria for noninferiority, with a low prevalence of adverse events.

Role of the protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR2) in the exacerbation of house dust mite-induced murine allergic lung disease by multi-walled carbon nanotubes.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary exposure to multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) has been reported to exert strong pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic adjuvant effects in mouse models of allergic lung disease. However, the molecular mechanisms through which MWCNTs exacerbate allergen-induced lung disease remain to be elucidated. We hypothesized that protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR2), a G-protein coupled receptor previously implicated in the pathogenesis of various diseases including pulmonary fibrosis and asthma, may play an important role in the exacerbation of house dust mite (HDM) allergen-induced lung disease by MWCNTs. METHODS: Wildtype (WT) male C57BL6 mice and Par2 KO mice were exposed to vehicle, MWCNTs, HDM extract, or both via oropharyngeal aspiration 6 times over a period of 3 weeks and were sacrificed 3-days after the final exposure (day 22). Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was harvested to measure changes in inflammatory cells, total protein, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Lung protein and RNA were assayed for pro-inflammatory or profibrotic mediators, and formalin-fixed lung sections were evaluated for histopathology. RESULTS: In both WT and Par2 KO mice, co-exposure to MWCNTs synergistically increased lung inflammation assessed by histopathology, and increased BALF cellularity, primarily eosinophils, as well as BALF total protein and LDH in the presence of relatively low doses of HDM extract that alone produced little, if any, lung inflammation. In addition, both WT and par2 KO mice displayed a similar increase in lung Cc1-11 mRNA, which encodes the eosinophil chemokine CCL-11, after co-exposure to MWCNTs and HDM extract. However, Par2 KO mice displayed significantly less airway fibrosis as determined by quantitative morphometry compared to WT mice after co-exposure to MWCNTs and HDM extract. Accordingly, at both protein and mRNA levels, the pro-fibrotic mediator arginase 1 (ARG-1), was downregulated in Par2 KO mice exposed to MWCNTs and HDM. In contrast, phosphorylation of the pro-inflammatory transcription factor NF-κB and the pro-inflammatory cytokine CXCL-1 was increased in Par2 KO mice exposed to MWCNTs and HDM. CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicates that PAR2 mediates airway fibrosis but not eosinophilic lung inflammation induced by co-exposure to MWCNTs and HDM allergens.

Abortion terminology preferences: a cross-sectional survey of people accessing abortion care.

BACKGROUND: Abortion stigma likely affects the terminology abortion patients, providers and the public use or avoid using to refer to abortion care. Knowing the terminology people seeking abortion prefer could help inform the language used in clinical interactions and improve patients' experiences with abortion care. However, research in the U.S. has not examined patients' preferences in this area or whether terminology preferences vary by participant characteristics, in the way that experiences of stigma vary across different contexts and communities. This study aims to describe preferred terminology among people presenting for abortion care and to explore the pregnancy-related characteristics associated with these preferences. METHODS: We surveyed abortion patients about their experiences accessing abortion care, including preferred terms for the procedure. Respondents could mark more than one term, suggest their own term, or indicate no preference. We recruited people ages 15-45 seeking abortion from four U.S. abortion facilities located in three states (California, Illinois, and New Mexico) from January to June 2019. We used descriptive statistics and multivariable multinomial logistic regression to explore associations between respondents' pregnancy-related characteristics and their preferred terminology. RESULTS: Among the 1092 people approached, 784 (77%) initiated the survey and 697 responded to the terminology preference question. Most participants (57%, n = 400) preferred only one term. Among those participants, "abortion" (43%) was most preferred, followed by "ending a pregnancy" (29%), and "pregnancy termination" (24%). In adjusted multivariable models, participants who worried "very much" that other people might find out about the abortion (29%) were significantly more likely than those who were "not at all" worried (13%) to prefer "ending a pregnancy" over having no preference for a term (adjusted relative risk ratio: 2.68, 95% Confidence Interval: 1.46-4.92). CONCLUSIONS: People seeking abortion have varied preferences for how they want to refer to their abortions, in particular if they anticipate abortion stigma. Findings can be useful for clinicians and researchers so that they can be responsive to people's preferences during clinical interactions and in the design and conduct of abortion research.

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. STUDY DESIGN: We surveyed patients seeking abortion at 7 facilities before ultrasound and compared self-assessments of gestational duration using 11 pregnancy dating questions with measurements on ultrasound. For individual pregnancy dating questions and combined questions, we established screening performance focusing on metrics of diagnostic accuracy, defined as the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, sensitivity (or the proportion of ineligible participants who correctly screened as ineligible for medication abortion), and proportion of false negatives (ie, the proportion of all participants who erroneously screened as eligible for medication abortion). We tested for differences in sensitivity across individual and combined questions using McNemar's test, and for differences in accuracy using the area under the receiver operating curve and Sidak adjusted P values. RESULTS: One-quarter (25%) of 1089 participants had a gestational duration of >70 days on ultrasound. Using the date of last menstrual period alone demonstrated 83.5% sensitivity (95% confidence interval, 78.4-87.9) in identifying participants with gestational durations of >70 days on ultrasound, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.82 (95% confidence interval, 0.79-0.85) and a proportion of false negatives of 4.0%. A composite measure of responses to questions on number of weeks pregnant, date of last menstrual period, and date they got pregnant demonstrated 89.1% sensitivity (95% confidence interval, 84.7-92.6) and an area under the receiver operating curve of 0.86 (95% confidence interval, 0.83-0.88), with 2.7% of false negatives. A simpler question set focused on being >10 weeks or >2 months pregnant or having missed 2 or more periods had comparable sensitivity (90.7%; 95% confidence interval, 86.6-93.9) and proportion of false negatives (2.3%), but with a slightly lower area under the receiver operating curve (0.82; 95% confidence interval, 0.79-0.84). CONCLUSION: In a sample representative of people seeking abortion nationally, broadening the screening questions for assessing gestational duration beyond the date of the last menstrual period resulted in improved accuracy and sensitivity of self-assessment at the 70-day threshold for medication abortion. Ultrasound assessment for medication abortion may not be necessary, especially when requiring ultrasound could increase COVID-19 risk or healthcare costs, restrict access, or limit patient choice.

Pulmonary exposure of mice to ammonium perfluoro(2-methyl-3-oxahexanoate) (GenX) suppresses the innate immune response to carbon black nanoparticles and stimulates lung cell proliferation.

BACKGROUND: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been associated with respiratory diseases in humans, yet the mechanisms through which PFAS cause susceptibility to inhaled agents is unknown. Herein, we investigated the effects of ammonium perfluoro(2-methyl-3-oxahexanoate) (GenX), an emerging PFAS, on the pulmonary immune response of mice to carbon black nanoparticles (CBNP). We hypothesized that pulmonary exposure to GenX would increase susceptibility to CBNP through suppression of innate immunity. METHODS: Male C57BL/6 mice were exposed to vehicle, 4 mg/kg CBNP, 10 mg/kg GenX, or CBNP and GenX by oropharyngeal aspiration. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was collected at 1 and 14 days postexposure for cytokines and total protein. Lung tissue was harvested for histopathology, immunohistochemistry (Ki67 and phosphorylated (p)-STAT3), western blotting (p-STAT3 and p-NF-κB), and qRT-PCR for cytokine mRNAs. RESULTS: CBNP increased CXCL-1 and neutrophils in BALF at both time points evaluated. However, GenX/CBNP co-exposure reduced CBNP-induced CXCL-1 and neutrophils in BALF. Moreover, CXCL-1, CXCL-2 and IL-1ß mRNAs were increased by CBNP in lung tissue but reduced by GenX. Western blotting showed that CBNP induced p-NF-κB in lung tissue, while the GenX/CBNP co-exposed group displayed decreased p-NF-κB. Furthermore, mice exposed to GenX or GenX/CBNP displayed increased numbers of BALF macrophages undergoing mitosis and increased Ki67 immunostaining. This was correlated with increased p-STAT3 by western blotting and immunohistochemistry in lung tissue from mice co-exposed to GenX/CBNP. CONCLUSIONS: Pulmonary exposure to GenX suppressed CBNP-induced innate immune response in the lungs of mice yet promoted the proliferation of macrophages and lung epithelial cells.

A cross-sectional study examining consideration of self-managed abortion among people seeking facility-based care in the United States.

INTRODUCTION: With increasing restrictions on abortion across the United States, we sought to understand whether people seeking abortion would consider ending their pregnancy on their own if unable to access a facility-based abortion. METHODS: From January to June 2019, we surveyed patients seeking abortion at 4 facilities in 3 US states. We explored consideration of self-managed abortion (SMA) using responses to the question: "Would you consider ending this pregnancy on your own if you are unable to obtain care at a health care facility?" We used multivariable Poisson regression to assess associations between individual sociodemographic, pregnancy and care-seeking characteristics and prevalence of considering SMA. In bivariate Poisson models, we also explored whether consideration of SMA differed by specific obstacles to abortion care. RESULTS: One-third (34%) of 741 participants indicated they would definitely or probably consider ending the pregnancy on their own if unable to obtain care at a facility. Consideration of SMA was higher among those who reported no health insurance (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR] = 1.66; 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.12-2.44), described the pregnancy as unintended (aPR = 1.53; 95% CI 1.08-2.16), were seeking abortion due to concerns about their own physical or mental health (aPR = 1.50, 95% CI 1.02, 2.20), or experienced obstacles that delayed their abortion care seeking (aPR = 2.26, 95% CI 1.49, 3.40). Compared to those who would not consider SMA, participants who would consider SMA expressed higher difficulty finding an abortion facility (35 vs. 27%, p = 0.019), figuring out how to get to the clinic (29 vs 21%, p = 0.021) and needing multiple clinic visits (23 vs 17%, p = 0.044). CONCLUSIONS: One in three people seeking facility-based abortion would consider SMA if unable to obtain abortion care at a facility. As abortion access becomes increasingly restricted in the US, SMA may become more common. Future research should continue to monitor people's consideration and use of SMA and ensure that they have access to safe and effective methods.

"I'll just deal with this on my own": a qualitative exploration of experiences with self-managed abortion in the United States.

BACKGROUND: A growing body of evidence indicates that some people seek options to terminate a pregnancy without medical assistance, but experiences doing so have largely been documented only among people accessing a clinic-based abortion. We aim to describe self-managed abortion (SMA) experiences of people recruited outside of clinics, including their motivations for SMA, pregnancy confirmation and decision-making processes, method choices, and clinical outcomes. METHODS: In 2017, we conducted 14 in-depth interviews with self-identified females of reproductive age who recently reported in an online survey administered to Ipsos' KnowledgePanel that, since 2000, they had attempted SMA while living in the United States. We asked participants about their reproductive histories, experiences seeking reproductive health care, and SMA experiences. We used an iterative process to develop codes and analyzed transcripts using thematic content analysis methods. RESULTS: Motivations and perceptions of effectiveness varied by whether participants had confirmed the pregnancy prior to SMA. Participants who confirmed their pregnancies chose SMA because it was convenient, accessible, and private. Those who did not test for pregnancy were motivated by a preference for autonomy and felt empowered by the ability to try something on their own before seeking facility-based care. Participants prioritized methods that were safe and available, though not always effective. Most used herbs or over-the-counter medications; none used self-sourced abortion medications, mifepristone and/or misoprostol. Five participants obtained facility-based abortions and one participant decided to continue the pregnancy after attempting SMA. The remaining eight reported being no longer pregnant after SMA. None of the participants sought care for  SMA complications; one participant saw a provider to confirm abortion completion. CONCLUSIONS: There are many types of SMA experiences. In addition to those who pursue SMA as a last resort (after facing barriers to facility-based care) or as a first resort (because they prefer homeopathic remedies), our findings show that some individuals view SMA as a potential interim step worth trying after suspecting pregnancy and before accessing facility-based care. These people in particular would benefit from a medication abortion product available over the counter, online, or in the form of a missed-period pill.

Some people in the United States (US) attempt to end a pregnancy on their own without medical supervision. What we know about this experience comes from studies focused on people who go to clinics. In this study, we conducted 14 interviews with self-identified women ages 18­49 who recently reported attempting to end a pregnancy on their own and who were recruited outside of the clinic setting. We asked participants about their fertility histories, experiences seeking reproductive health care, and experiences ending a pregnancy without medical assistance. Those who took a pregnancy test and then chose to end the pregnancy on their own did so because it was convenient, accessible, and private. Those who did not test for pregnancy felt empowered by the ability to try something on their own before seeking facility-based care. All participants prioritized methods that were safe and available, though not always effective. After they attempted to end the pregnancy on their own, five participants accessed abortion care in facilities, one decided to continue the pregnancy, and eight were no longer pregnant. Our findings show that, in addition to people who end a pregnancy on their own as a last resort (after facing barriers to facility-based care) or as a first resort (because of preferences for homeopathic methods), a third group values having an interim step to try after suspecting pregnancy and before accessing facility-based care. These people would particularly benefit from a medication abortion product available over the counter, online, or in the form of a missed-period pill.

Self-reported Physical Health of Women Who Did and Did Not Terminate Pregnancy After Seeking Abortion Services: A Cohort Study.

Background: Research demonstrates worse short-term morbidity and mortality associated with childbirth than with abortion, but little research has examined long-term physical health in women with unwanted pregnancies after abortion versus childbirth. Objective: To examine the physical health of women who seek and receive or are denied abortion. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: 30 U.S. abortion facilities from 2008 to 2010. Participants: Of 1132 women seeking abortion who consented to participate, 874 were included in this analysis (328 who had first-trimester abortion, 383 who had second-trimester abortion, and 163 who gave birth). Measurements: Self-reported overall health; chronic abdominal, pelvic, back, and joint pain; chronic headaches or migraines; obesity; asthma; gestational and nongestational hypertension and diabetes; and hyperlipidemia were assessed semiannually for 5 years. Mortality was assessed by using verbal autopsy and public records. Results: No significant differences were observed in self-rated health or chronic pain after first-trimester versus second-trimester abortion. At 5 years, 27% (95% CI, 21% to 34%) of women who gave birth reported fair or poor health compared with 20% (CI, 16% to 24%) of women who had first-trimester abortion and 21% (CI, 18% to 25%) who had second-trimester abortion. Women who gave birth also reported more chronic headaches or migraines and joint pain, but experienced similar levels of other types of chronic pain and obesity. Gestational hypertension was reported by 9.4% of participants who gave birth. Eight of 1132 participants died during follow-up, 2 in the postpartum period. Maternal mortality did not differ statistically by group. Limitation: Self-reported outcome measures, uncertain generalizability, and 41% loss to follow-up at 5 years. Conclusion: Although some argue that abortion is detrimental to women's health, these study data indicate that physical health is no worse in women who sought and underwent abortion than in women who were denied abortion. Indeed, differences emerged suggesting worse health among those who gave birth. Primary Funding Source: An anonymous foundation.

Psychometric Evaluation of an Instrument to Measure Prospective Pregnancy Preferences: The Desire to Avoid Pregnancy Scale.

BACKGROUND: Existing approaches to measuring women's pregnancy intentions suffer important limitations, including retrospective assessment, overly simple categories, and a presumption that all women plan pregnancies. No psychometrically valid scales exist to prospectively measure the ranges of women's pregnancy preferences. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using a rigorous construct modeling approach, we developed a scale to measure desire to avoid pregnancy. We developed 60 draft items from existing research, assessed comprehension through 25 cognitive interviews, and administered items in surveys with 594 nonpregnant women in 7 primary and reproductive health care facilities in Arizona, New Jersey, New Mexico, South Carolina, and Texas in 2016-2017. We used item response theory to reduce the item set and assess the scale's reliability, internal structure validity, and external validity. Items were included based on fit to a random effects multinomial logistic regression model (partial credit item response model), correspondence of item difficulty with participants' pregnancy preference levels, and consistency of each item's response options with overall scale scores. RESULTS: The 14 final items covered 3 conceptual domains: cognitive preferences, affective feelings, and practical consequences. Items fit the unidimensional model, with a separation reliability of 0.90 (Cronbach α: 0.95). The scale met established criteria for internal validity, including correspondence between each item's response categories and overall scale scores. We found no important differential item functioning by participant characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: A robust measure is available to prospectively measure desire to avoid pregnancy. The measure can aid in identifying women who could benefit from contraceptive care and research on less desired pregnancy.

Hormonal Contraceptives and the Acquisition of Sexually Transmitted Infections: An Updated Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests that some forms of hormonal contraception (HC) increase women's risk of non-human immunodeficiency virus sexually transmitted infections (STIs), yet evidence has not been reviewed since 2008. We conducted an updated systematic review to incorporate studies published between January 2009 and June 2017 to examine the relationship between HCs and incident or recurrent STIs. METHODS: We searched PubMed and EMBASE to identify prospective studies comparing risk of Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, human papillomavirus (HPV), herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), Treponema pallidum, or Trichomonas vaginalis, between women using HC versus nonhormonal methods or no methods. We summarize results by type of STI and HC and study quality using an adapted Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale. RESULTS: Thirty articles met the inclusion criteria. Depo-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) reduces the risk of trichomoniasis (consistent evidence) and may increase the risk of HSV-2 (strong effect, few studies); inconclusive evidence exists for HPV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis. Data on oral contraceptive pills (OCPs; generally not differentiated whether combined or progestin-only pills) suggest that use is associated with a reduced risk of trichomoniasis with inconclusive findings for HSV-2, HPV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis. Very few studies included norethisterone enanthate (Net-En) injectable, implants or the levonorgestrel intrauterine device. CONCLUSIONS: Depo-medroxyprogesterone acetate and OCPs reduce the risk of trichomoniasis and DMPA may increase the risk of HSV-2. However, the potential for confounding cannot be ruled out. Future studies should specify the type of injectable or OCP used to increase understanding of biological pathways; more research is needed on implants and hormonal intrauterine devices.

Socioeconomic Outcomes of Women Who Receive and Women Who Are Denied Wanted Abortions in the United States.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the socioeconomic consequences of receipt versus denial of abortion. METHODS: Women who presented for abortion just before or after the gestational age limit of 30 abortion facilities across the United States between 2008 and 2010 were recruited and followed for 5 years via semiannual telephone interviews. Using mixed effects models, we evaluated socioeconomic outcomes for 813 women by receipt or denial of abortion care. RESULTS: In analyses that adjusted for the few baseline differences, women denied abortions who gave birth had higher odds of poverty 6 months after denial (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 3.77; P < .001) than did women who received abortions; women denied abortions were also more likely to be in poverty for 4 years after denial of abortion. Six months after denial of abortion, women were less likely to be employed full time (AOR = 0.37; P = .001) and were more likely to receive public assistance (AOR = 6.26; P < .001) than were women who obtained abortions, differences that remained significant for 4 years. CONCLUSIONS: Women denied an abortion were more likely than were women who received an abortion to experience economic hardship and insecurity lasting years. Laws that restrict access to abortion may result in worsened economic outcomes for women.

Unintended pregnancy and subsequent postpartum long-acting reversible contraceptive use in Zimbabwe.

BACKGROUND: The postpartum period is an opportune time for contraception adoption, as women have extended interaction with the reproductive healthcare system and therefore more opportunity to learn about and adopt contraceptive methods. This may be especially true for women who experience unintended pregnancy, a key target population for contraceptive programs and programs to eliminate mother-to-child HIV transmission. Among women in Zimbabwe surveyed in 2014, we examined the relationship between pregnancy intention associated with a woman's most recent pregnancy, and her subsequent postpartum contraceptive use. METHODS: In our analysis we utilized a dataset from a random selection of catchment areas in Zimbabwe to examine the association between pregnancy intention of most recent pregnancy and subsequent postpartum contraceptive use using multinomial logistic regression models. We also explored whether this association differed by women's HIV status. Finally, we examined the association between pregnancy intention and changes in contraception from the pre- to postpartum periods. RESULTS: Findings suggest that women who reported that their pregnancy was unintended adopted less modern (all non-traditional) contraceptive methods overall, but adopted long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) more frequently than women reporting an intended pregnancy (OR 1.41; CI 1.18, 1.68). Among HIV-positive women, this relationship was particularly strong (OR 3.12; CI 1.96, 4.97). However, when examining changes in contraceptive use from the pre-pregnancy to the postpartum period, women who had an unintended pregnancy had lower odds of changing to a more effective method postpartum overall (OR 0.71; CI 0.64, 0.79). CONCLUSIONS: We did not find evidence of higher modern method adoption in the postpartum period among women with an unintended pregnancy. However, women who were already on a method in the pre-pregnancy period were catalyzed to move to more effective methods (such as LARC) postpartum. This study provides evidence of low modern (non-traditional) method adoption in general in the postpartum period among a vulnerable sub-population in Zimbabwe (women who experience unintended pregnancy). Simultaneously, however, it shows a relatively greater portion specifically of LARC use among women with an unintended pregnancy. Further research is needed to more closely examine the motivations behind these contraceptive decisions in order to better inform distribution and counseling programs.

Hormonal contraceptive use and women's risk of HIV acquisition: priorities emerging from recent data.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Understanding whether hormonal contraception increases women's risk of HIV acquisition is a public health priority. This review summarizes recent epidemiologic and biologic data, and considers the implications of new evidence on research and programmatic efforts. RECENT FINDINGS: Two secondary analyses of HIV prevention trials demonstrated increased HIV risk among depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) users compared with nonhormonal/no method users and norethisterone enanthate (NET-EN) users. A study of women in serodiscordant partnerships found no significant association for DMPA or implants. Two meta-analyses found elevated risks of HIV among DMPA users compared with nonhormonal/no method users, with no association for NET-EN or combined oral contraceptive pills. In-vitro and animal model studies identified plausible biological mechanisms by which progestin exposure could increase risk of HIV, depending on the type and dose of progestin, but such mechanisms have not been definitively observed in humans. SUMMARY: Recent epidemiologic and biologic evidence on hormonal contraception and HIV suggests a harmful profile for DMPA but not combined oral contraceptives. In limited data, NET-EN appears safer than DMPA. More research is needed on other progestin-based methods, especially implants and Sayana Press. Future priorities include updating modeling studies with new pooled estimates, continued basic science to understand biological mechanisms, expanding contraceptive choice, and identifying effective ways to promote dual method use.

Are hormonal contraceptive users more likely to misreport unprotected sex? Evidence from a biomarker validation study in Zimbabwe.

We analyzed biomarker validation data of unprotected sex from women in Zimbabwe to determine whether condom and sexual behavior misreporting differs between users of different contraceptive methods. Self-reported sexual behavior was compared with the presence of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in vaginal fluid, a biomarker of semen exposure. Of the 195 women who were PSA positive, 94 (48 %) reported no sex or only condom-protected sex. Hormonal contraceptive users misreported sexual behavior less than women using non-hormonal methods (45 vs. 67 %, P = 0.03). This misclassification pattern could have implications on the elevated risk of HIV infection associated with hormonal contraception in some studies.

Food insecurity, socioeconomic status, and HIV-related risk behavior among women in farming households in Tanzania.

Food insecurity (FI) is associated with higher-risk sexual behavior in some studies. However, the overlap between FI and socioeconomic status (SES) has been poorly described. The study objectives were to: (1) determine the relationship between household FI and four dimensions of SES among sexually active Tanzanian women in farming households: expenditures, assets, flooring material of the home, and land ownership; and (2) determine whether FI is associated with higher-risk sexual behavior and relationship power. In male-headed households, FI was associated with assets, flooring material, and land ownership but not expenditures. There was no association between FI and the four dimensions of SES in female-headed households. Among women in male-headed households, but not female household heads themselves, severe FI was associated with a non-significant increase in the likelihood of being in a relationship because of material goods [adjusted prevalence ratio (PRa) = 1.76, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.81, 3.81] and was inversely associated with being able to ask partners to use condoms (PRa = 0.47, 95 % CI 0.25, 0.88). There was not a strong association between food security and relationship power. Our findings suggest that the association between FI and HIV risk behavior may differ depending on the type of household.

Money and place: Quantifying the types of obstacles associated with seeking an abortion after 10 weeks' gestation, 2019-2020.

OBJECTIVES: Identify factors associated with presenting for abortion after 10 weeks' gestation in a large, geographically diverse sample. STUDY DESIGN: From October 2019 to March 2020, we surveyed 1089 patients seeking abortion at seven U.S. facilities. We identified four domains of barriers: geographic, financial, logistical/personal, and legislative. Using multivariable logistic regression, we investigated the relationship between each domain and presenting for abortion after 10 weeks' gestation, overall and stratified by state policy landscape. RESULTS: One-third of participants reported geographic (33.0%), financial (33.3%), and logistical/personal (31.4%) barriers; fewer (4.8%) reported legislative barriers. One-third (30.8%) traveled over 50 miles to the clinic. One-quarter (25.2%) presented after 10 weeks' gestation. In multivariable analyses, financial barriers (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.49, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.06-2.09), geographic barriers (aOR = 2.05, 95% CI = 1.44-2.90), and difficulty meeting basic expenses (aOR = 1.47, 95% CI = 1.15-1.89) were associated with presenting after 10 weeks' gestation across the seven clinics. Among participants accessing care at clinics in states with supportive abortion policies (n = 178), geographic barriers remained significantly associated with presenting after 10 weeks' gestation. CONCLUSIONS: In a large, geographically diverse sample, financial and geographic barriers were associated with presenting after the threshold for medication abortion. In supportive states, the association with geographic barriers persisted. Cost and geographic barriers are increasing as more states restrict abortion post-Dobbs, highlighting the urgent need to expand financial and travel support. IMPLICATIONS: People seeking abortion faced barriers before the Dobbs decision. Now, post-Dobbs, restrictions to abortion have only increased, making barriers to care even more threatening. Providing access to financial resources and transportation for people seeking abortion and expanding telehealth medication for abortion is now even more important.

Experiences of delay-causing obstacles and mental health at the time of abortion seeking.

Objectives: The delays and challenges people encounter when seeking abortion are well-documented, but their psychological implications are understudied. Aiming to fill this gap, we explored the associations between experiences of delay-causing obstacles to abortion care and adverse mental health symptoms among individuals seeking abortion care. Study design: In 2019, we surveyed 784 people (of 1092 approached) ages 15-45 accessing abortion care in four clinics in abortion-supportive states: California, Illinois, and New Mexico. We conducted multivariable Poisson regressions to examine associations between experiencing delay-causing obstacles to abortion care and stress, anxiety, and depression at the abortion appointment. We also used Poisson regression to examine whether some individuals are more likely to experience delay-causing obstacles than others. Results: Three in five participants (58%) experienced delay-causing obstacles when accessing abortion care. The most prevalent obstacles were cost-related (45%), followed by access-related (43%), and travel time-related (35%) delays. In adjusted analyses, experiencing any type of delay-causing obstacle to abortion care was significantly associated with more symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression and higher risk of anxiety and depressive disorders. Participants were more likely to experience delay-causing obstacles if they traveled from another state or over 100 miles to reach the clinic, sought abortion beyond 13 weeks gestation, lacked money for unexpected expenses, and found it difficult to pay for the abortion. Conclusion: Abortion is a time-sensitive healthcare, but most individuals are forced to delay care due to various obstacles that may have a negative impact on their psychological well-being. Implications: Obstacles causing delays in accessing abortion care may contribute to elevated symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression and higher risk of anxiety and depressive disorders for abortion patients. As restrictive policies increase, delays are likely to worsen, potentially leading to psychological harm for people seeking abortion.