Contraceptive Technology Update – March 1, 2021
March 1, 2021
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New Year, New President Affect Abortion, Title X Changes
Family planning providers anticipate positive changes to the Title X program as President Biden announced his administration would roll back the Trump rules that forced hundreds of family planning clinics out of the program.
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Supreme Court Decision Reinforces Barrier to Medication Abortion
A recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court could make it more difficult for women to access medication abortions. In an unsigned brief order on Jan. 12, the Supreme Court said a district court should not have compelled the Food and Drug Administration to lift a requirement that mifepristone, the abortion pill, has to be picked up in person.
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Researchers Study Immigrant Latinas’ Experience with Reproductive Healthcare
Latina-identified immigrants experience multiple barriers to healthcare, including contraception and reproductive care. This can result in lack of access to affordable preventive screenings, such as Pap smears, mammograms, and tests for sexually transmitted infections, according to the authors of a recent study.
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Contraceptive Use Is Less Consistent for Young Women Experiencing Hardships
Researchers studied more than 1,000 women, ages 18 and 19 years, over several years, asking them weekly questions about their contraceptive use, sex, and pregnancy. They found that women who experience material hardship use contraceptives less consistently.
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Study: Contraception Program for Incarcerated Women Can Prevent Pregnancies
An estimated 5% of women in jails are pregnant, and human rights groups and researchers have collected evidence that these women often receive poor care and are neglected. One solution is to provide contraceptive care to incarcerated women who would like to avoid pregnancy.
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Study: Risk Assessment for Contraceptives Is Influenced by Cultural Biases
Cultural assumptions create unbalanced risk assessment when the medical community weighs the risks and benefits of common contraceptive methods, the authors of a recent study concluded. Researchers studied contraception risks and assessed how these risks were prioritized in reproductive health providers’ understanding of contraceptives and their potential side effects.
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Educational Sessions for Women with Opioid Use Disorder Improve Engagement
A Maine family planning clinic launched a program to reach women who experience barriers to reproductive healthcare, counseling, and testing for sexually transmitted infections. The program focused on outreach, sending an educator to various locations and providing an educational session for women who are especially vulnerable, including those who use opioids.
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New Guidelines Reinforce Need for Change in Cervical Cancer Screening Practice
Screening standards for cervical cancer have changed over the past two decades, including several updates since the first consensus guidelines, published in 2001 by the American Society of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology. The 2020 revision is based on data showing that patients’ risk of developing cervical precancer or cancer can be estimated using screening test results, biopsy results, and consideration of personal patient factors.