Laws Targeting Medication Abortion Threaten Women's Safety, Trend Toward Early Abortions
"In addition to burdening women and providers, the new onslaught of provisions hostile to medication abortion -- promoted by those whose primary concern is not women's well-being, but the opposition to abortion at any stage -- threaten[s] [a] trend toward very early abortion," according to a policy review by the Guttmacher Institute's Heather Boonstra. Boonstra discusses state provisions that require clinicians to follow outdated medical protocols that include unnecessarily high doses of mifepristone and burden women and providers by forcing patients to make unnecessary trips to the doctor's office. Abortion-rights opponents claim these requirements are needed to protect women's safety, when in fact "these restrictions are an attack on abortion itself," she writes.

Sexual Activity, Pregnancy Among Young Adolescents 'Rare,' Study Affirms
In contrast to public perception, sexual activity and pregnancy remain "rare" among very young adolescents, as they have been "for decades," according to an analysis of nationally representative data by Lawrence Finer and Jesse Philbin of the Guttmacher Institute. The researchers also noted that most sexual activity among individuals ages 10 to 12 is nonconsensual. Contraceptive use among female adolescents who first had sex at 14 or younger was "relatively low," whereas use among female teens who first had sex at ages 15 or older was similar to that among older teens. "Health professionals can improve outcomes for teenagers by recognizing the higher likelihood of nonconsensual sex among younger teens and by teaching and making contraceptive methods available to teen patients before they become sexually active," the researchers wrote.

Midwife-Managed Care Boosts Satisfaction, Reduces Length of Stay in Obstetrics Triage Unit, Study Finds
Although collaborative care between certified nurse midwives and ob-gyns has been linked with higher patient satisfaction in some settings, no previous study has evaluated the impact of this model on satisfaction or length of stay in obstetric triage units. For this study, researchers evaluated care before and after implementing a CNM-managed model at such a unit, finding that women were significantly more likely to be extremely satisfied with care in the CNM-managed group for five of the six categories that were measured. The study "demonstrates support for creating a collaborative, interprofessional midwife, nurse, and physician approach in the obstetric triage setting," the researchers wrote.

Study Evaluates Relationship Between Prenatal Employment, Adverse Birth Outcomes
Although about two-thirds of first-time mothers report being employed during pregnancy, research on the relationship between workforce participation and birth outcomes is limited. Researchers from the University of Minnesota sought to isolate whether there is a causal relationship between full-time, part-time or lack of employment during pregnancy and the likelihood of low birthweight or preterm birth. They determined that prenatal employment does not independently contribute to those birth outcomes; however, consistent with prior research, race was associated with adverse birth outcomes. The researchers emphasized that future efforts should focus on addressing factors that can make pregnant women -- employed or not -- susceptible to poor birth outcomes.

Modern-Day Ob-Gyns Affirm Physicians' Obligations Outlined in 1972 Statement on Abortion
In 1972, 100 professors of obstetrics and gynecology published a statement recognizing the legalization of abortion in several states and anticipating the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. The professors predicted the number of abortions needed in the future, outlined how hospitals ought to respond to that need, and defined the responsibilities of academic ob-gyns in ensuring women's access to abortion. In a new opinion, 100 academic ob-gyns -- including five of the original signatories -- review the 1972 statement, assess whether hospitals and ob-gyns have met their obligations, and examine legal challenges in the face of state policies that restrict abortion services. They pledge anew to ensure the availability of abortion and contraceptive care, as well as to "refute legislative demands for unnecessary and invasive treatments that are designed to intimidate and humiliate women."