Possible Drug Interaction Between GLP-1 Agonist and Oral Contraceptives

Written by Sabina Kapkayeva Pharm.D. candidate and Regina Ginzburg, Pharm.D., CDCES, BC-ADM Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1 agonists) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptides (GIP) are increasingly being used in the management of diabetes and/or for weight loss. Several GLP-1 agonist medications available today are known to have interactions with oral hormonal contraceptives, but not through the usual pharmacokinetic…

Expanding Access to the Self-Administered Contraceptive Injection

Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), often referred to by the brand name, Depo Provera, or “the depo shot,” is birth control that is administered as an injection every three months to prevent pregnancy. The most common form is an intramuscular injection, which usually involves going to a health care provider — like a doctor, nurse, or…

Hormonal Contraception, Breast Cancer, and Communicating Risk to Patients

This Contraceptive Pearl clarifies how to communicate risk to address questions regarding cancer risk for users of hormonal contraception.

Insights: Tips for Addressing Challenging Questions

Written by Lily Van Tongeren, MD and Maya Bass, MD MA FAAFP During options counseling and abortion care, clinicians and support staff are often asked challenging questions about the abortion process. These inquiries can range from scientific to deeply spiritual in nature. Questions such as “Is there a heartbeat?” and “Does the baby feel pain?”…

Insights: Pain Control During Procedural Abortions

Written by Divya Bhatia, MD Pain perception during procedures for abortion or management of early pregnancy loss is shaped by multiple physical and psychosocial factors and can vary substantially from person to person. Accordingly, it is best managed using a multi-modal approach.1 Pharmacological methods include oral pain medication, paracervical block, and sedation with anesthesia. Premedication…

Insights: How All Clinicians Can Support People Who Need Abortion

Written by Jasmine Chan, M.D. and Navjot Narula, MD As restrictive laws increasingly limit patients’ access to abortion care, clinicians must maximize their support for patients seeking abortions. Even if your organization does not provide abortions, there are still many ways you can support patients seeking abortion care. These recommendations may fall in a legally…

Contraception and Sickle Cell Disease

Written by Aderinsola Odetunde, MD Sickle cell disease (SCD) affects approximately 100,000 people in the United States, with the highest prevalence among those of African descent.1,2 Many of those living with SCD are not counseled on reproductive health, especially during the transition period from pediatric to adult care.3 Clinicians should regularly discuss reproductive health care…

Insights: Values Clarification for Abortion

Written by Judy Lipshutz, MSW, RN Values Clarification (VC) is a process of self-reflection that encourages honest and respectful conversations about how our values impact the care we provide. We all have values, opinions, biases, and identities; and we come from different generations, cultures, races, and religions. Developing self-awareness about how our values impact our…

CDC Contraception Guidelines

The Reproductive Health Access Project has finished updating the Medical Eligibility Criteria for Initiating Contraception based on the 2024 CDC Medical Eligibility Criteria (MEC) and Selected Practice Recommendations (SPR) for Contraceptive Use. This is a reference tool for clinicians who want to check a patient’s medical eligibility for initiating various forms of contraception as they…

Insights: The Impacts of Abortion Bans on Maternal Health

Written by Silpa Srinivasulu, MPH After the Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health decision overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, nearly half of US states banned or severely restricted access to abortion care. To date, 12 states ban abortion in nearly all circumstances and six restrict abortion at 12 weeks of pregnancy or less. While…