Promising assisted reproductive technologies come with ethical, legal and social challenges – a developmental biologist and a bioethicist discuss IVF, abortion and the mice with two dads

Scientists can create viable eggs from two male mice. In the wake of CRISPR controversies and restrictive abortion laws, two experts start a dialogue on ethical research in reproductive biology.

Mary Faith Marshall, Professor of Biomedical Ethics, University of Virginia • conversation
July 13, 2023 ~17 min

One year after the fall of Roe v. Wade, abortion care has become a patchwork of confusing state laws that deepen existing inequalities

Abortion bans and restrictions have numerous downstream effects on health care. For instance, medical students in states where those laws exist will not receive training for some standard procedures.

Heidi Fantasia, Associate Professor of Nursing, UMass Lowell • conversation
June 21, 2023 ~10 min


Mifepristone is under scrutiny in the courts, but it has been used safely and effectively around the world for decades

Mifepristone’s safety in medication abortions has been well established over more than two decades, but legal wrangling leaves the future of the drug hanging in the balance.

Grace Shih, Associate Professor of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington • conversation
April 26, 2023 ~8 min

Challenging the FDA's authority isn't new – the agency's history shows what's at stake when drug regulation is in limbo

As the government’s oldest consumer protection agency, the FDA has long butted up against drugmakers, activists and politicians. But undermining its work could be harmful to patient health and safety.

Christine Coughlin, Professor of Law, Wake Forest University • conversation
April 26, 2023 ~9 min

What the FDA's rule changes allowing the abortion pill mifepristone to be dispensed by pharmacies mean in practice – 5 questions answered

The FDA’s allowance for pharmacies to dispense mifepristone will broaden access to the two-pill mifepristone-misoprostol regimen of medication abortion, which is 95% to 98% effective.

Grace Shih, Associate Professor of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington • conversation
Jan. 11, 2023 ~10 min

Most human embryos naturally die after conception – restrictive abortion laws fail to take this embryo loss into account

Human embryos are far more likely to die than come to term, an evolutionary trait seen across species. Laws granting personhood at conception ignore built-in embryo loss, with potentially grave consequences.

Kathryn Kavanagh, Associate Professor of Biology, UMass Dartmouth • conversation
Sept. 1, 2022 ~10 min

When abortion at a clinic is not available, 1 in 3 pregnant people say they will do something on their own to end the pregnancy

The fall of Roe v. Wade will result in more people deciding to privately end a pregnancy, a new study finds. But how often people will turn to safe versus unsafe options remains to be seen.

Lauren Ralph, Associate Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco • conversation
Aug. 31, 2022 ~5 min

What to know about the costs of traveling for abortion care in the US – here's what I learned from talking to hundreds of women who've sought abortions

For many who must travel to get an abortion, the financial burden of the trip can be overwhelming.

Katrina Kimport, Professor of Sociology, University of California, San Francisco • conversation
Aug. 30, 2022 ~5 min


New restrictions on abortion care will have psychological harms -- here's what research shows will happen in post-Roe America

Escalating legal restrictions throughout the US might mean an increase in mental health disorders for those who are denied an abortion.

Rachel Diamond, Clinical Training DIrector and Assistant Professor of Couple and Family Therapy, Adler University • conversation
Aug. 25, 2022 ~8 min

How to navigate self-managed abortion issues such as access, wait times and complications – a family physician explains

Abortion pills are available online, and many of them are safe. But not all sites have been properly vetted for legitimacy.

Grace Shih, Associate Professor of Family Medicine, University of Washington • conversation
July 22, 2022 ~8 min

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