Peer-Reviewed Publications
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“I want…to serve those communities…[but] my price tag is…not what they can afford”: The community-engaged Georgia doula study
Key takeaway: Georgia doulas identified challenges (e.g., inaccessibility for people of lower income) and solutions (e.g., sliding scale fees, Medicaid reimbursement, community health worker models) that could improve doula care access to reduce maternal and infant morbidity and mortality in the state.
Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health
August 2023
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“We really are seeing racism in the hospitals”: Racial identity, racism, and doula care for diverse populations in Georgia
Key takeaway: Black doulas provide essential and supportive services to Black birthing people, including buffering against obstetric racism, and those services are more urgently needed than ever following the overturn of Roe v. Wade.
PLOS ONE
June 2023
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“The right thing to do would be to provide care… and we can’t”: Provider experiences with Georgia’s 22-week abortion ban
Key finding: Georgia’s 22-week ban interferes with provision of quality, patient-centered healthcare and has negative and inequitable consequences for patients and providers, despite abortion providers’ resilience and commitment.
Contraception
May 2023
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Estimation of multiyear consequences for abortion access in Georgia under a law limiting abortion to early pregnancy
Key finding: We found that fewer abortions are likely accessible in Georgia among Black people, younger people, and people with less education under House Bill 481, Georgia’s “six-week” abortion ban, demonstrating the inequitable nature of the ban.
JAMA Network Open
March 2023
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“I can be pro-abortion and pro-birth”: Opportunities and challenges for full spectrum care among doulas in Georgia
Key findings: Doulas of all kinds center reproductive autonomy (and voice support for abortion doula care) but don’t consistently view contraceptive counseling as within the doula scope of work. Community-based abortion and full-spectrum doulas provide diverse and beneficial services, and offer creative solutions to challenges like stigma and abortion restrictions.
Frontiers in Global Women's Health
March 2023
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Implementation of Title X family planning services in primary care: A qualitative study of a primary care network in Georgia
Key takeaway: Integrating family planning into primary care may expand access to low-income and underserved populations. Approaches that incorporate flexibility and provide tailored resources for primary care settings may be particularly important for helping to implement Title X services in these settings.
Women’s Health Issues
December 2022
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“Doulas shouldn’t be considered visitors, we should be considered a part of [the] team”: Doula care in Georgia, USA during the COVID-19 pandemic
Key takeaway: COVID-19 severely impacted access to provision of doula care, mostly due to economic hardship for clients and restrictive hospital policies. At the same time, doulas and their clients have been resourceful—using virtual technology, innovative payment models, and home births.
Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters
November 2022
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“I don’t regret it at all. It’s just I wish the process had a bit more humanity to it … a bit more holistic”: A qualitative, community-led medication abortion study with Black and Latinx women in Georgia, USA
Key finding: Our study revealed interrelated and intersectional barriers to medication abortion for Black and Latinx women, including barriers rooted in marginalization, stigma, and mistrust. Our findings also contribute new insights as Black and Latinx participants presented numerous solutions rooted in equity, respect, resilience, and trust.
Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters
November 2022
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“Post-Roe” abortion policy context heightens the imperative for multilevel, comprehensive, integrated health education
Key takeaway: Health educators must work toward integrated abortion education across public health education curricula—normalizing abortion-related conversation across health education settings (classroom, clinical, public, etc.)—and engage the support of institutional and professional leaders.
Health Education & Behavior
September 2022
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Racial disparities in pregnancy options counseling and referral in the US South
Key finding: Our study revealed significant racial disparities in options counseling and referral, with Black clients being less likely to receive information about abortion and more likely to leave the clinic with an unmet need for abortion referral. The findings highlight why it is important to offer all options to every client, every time.
Health Services Research
August 2022
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Community-led research for reproductive justice: Exploring the SisterLove Georgia Medication Abortion project
Key finding: Community-led reproductive justice research offers innovative and transformational methods for truly advancing SRH equity in an era of increasing policy restrictions and decreasing access to care, particularly for marginalized communities including Black and Latinx/a/e people.
Frontiers in Global Women's Health
August 2022
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“No one does this for the money or lifestyle”: Abortion providers’ perspectives on factors affecting workforce recruitment and retention in the Southern United States
Key finding: Suggestions for improving provider recruitment and retention include cooperation between professional organizations, training programs, and healthcare institutions to create opportunities for training and networking and encourage abortion-supportive organizational and policy environments.
Maternal and Child Health Journal
January 2022
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Supporting staff in Southern family planning clinics: Challenges and opportunities
Key finding: Ways to support family planning staff include providing development opportunities, commitment from leadership to recognize and invest in staff and supporting self-care.
Maternal and Child Health Journal
January 2022
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Variation in restrictive abortion policies and adverse birth outcomes in the United States from 2005 to 2015
Key finding: Increases in abortion restrictions are associated with poor infant health outcomes, including preterm birth and low birthweight.
Women’s Health Issues
November 2021
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Sexuality-based stigma and inclusion among Southern Protestant religious leaders
Key finding: There are linkages between abortion stigma and stigma against sexual/gender minorities among Southern religious leaders. However, there is also support for abortion and LGBTQ inclusivity.
Sexuality Research and Social Policy
November 2021
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Racial/ethnic and educational inequities in restrictive abortion policy variation and adverse birth outcomes in the United States
Key finding: Abortion restrictions likely increase the risk of preterm birth and low birth weight infants, and these effects disproportionately affect Black individuals.
BMC Health Services Research
October 2021
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Racial and ethnic abortion disparities following Georgia's 22-week gestational age limit
Key finding: Georgia’s 22-week gestational age limit had stronger negative effects on Black people seeking abortions.
Women’s Health Issues
October 2021
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“It didn’t matter what the bill said...”: Influences on abortion policy legislative decision-making in Georgia
Key finding: Despite the arguments and evidence presented during the legislative session, legislators voted according to their previously held beliefs on abortion.
Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association
June 2021
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Sociodemographic and service use characteristics of abortion fund cases from six states in the U.S. Southeast
Key finding: Those seeking help from abortion funds face disproportionate, intersecting barriers to abortion access.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
April 2021
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Parental involvement policies for minors seeking abortion in the Southeast and quality of care
Key finding: Parental involvement mandates undermine health service delivery and quality for young people seeking abortion services in the Southeast.
Sexuality Research and Social Policy
February 2021
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Abortion attitudes, religious and moral beliefs, and pastoral care among Protestant religious leaders in Georgia
Key finding: Religious leaders hold diverse attitudes and beliefs about abortion, rooted in Christian scripture and doctrine, and may struggle to integrate their knowledge and training across pastoral care and ethical issues related to abortion.
PLOS One
July 2020
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Abortion trends in Georgia following enactment of the 22-week gestational age limit, 2007–2017
Key finding: Georgia’s 22-week gestational age limit may be adversely affecting access to necessary and desired abortion services for pregnant people across the state and region.
American Journal of Public Health
July 2020
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A narrative analysis of anti-abortion testimony and legislative debate related to Georgia’s fetal “heartbeat” abortion ban
Key finding: To pass a 6-week abortion ban, Georgia legislators used the “heartbeat” as an indicator of life and therefore personhood; attempted to create a new class of persons—fetuses in utero—entitled to legal protection; and argued to expand state protections for fetuses as a matter of state sovereignty and rights.
Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters
January 2020