ANSIRH Press Kit

About ANSIRH

Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH), at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), is a leading research program with over 20 subject matter experts informing the most pressing conversations on abortion and reproductive health. Led by Dr. Daniel Grossman, ANSIRH provides much-needed facts and research on abortion for active policy debates and legal battles around reproductive health issues. Our experts are regularly featured in print, radio, and broadcast news outlets. If you are looking for additional information or to speak with an expert, please contact Virali Modi-Parekh.  

For full bios and researcher headshots, please click here. 

Our Issues

 

Impact of abortion bans post-Roe

Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, patients and providers have faced immense barriers to abortion care. This has deepened the inequities in our health care system and led to some people being denied care entirely. 

  • Dr. Daniel Grossman is the Director of ANSIRH and lead author of Care Post-Roe, a seminal report showing how, since the Dobbs decision abortion, health care providers are unable to provide standard medical care in states with abortion bans, leading to delays, denials of care, and worsened health outcomes. Dr. Grossman’s research has been featured in the Guardian, PBS’s Amanpour & Co,, and The Washington Post.
  • Dr. Ushma Upadhyay co-leads #WeCount, a national effort to document the shifts in abortions across states after Roe was struck down. The study shows how abortion access in the United States has plummeted to zero in some states, while increasing in others to meet the acute need – resulting in a major disruption to the U.S. healthcare system and people’s lives. She also runs ANSIRH’s Abortion Facilities Database, which has been tracking the number of abortion clinics in the US since 2017. Dr. Upadhyay has been featured in NPR, The Economist, and the Los Angeles Times.
  • Dr. Katrina Kimport studies the barriers people face when trying to obtain an abortion and the challenges and experiences of those traveling for abortion care. Her work has been featured in MSNBC's Velshi, PBS's Amanpour & Co., and FiveThirtyEight.

For more information, see Care Post-Roe, #WeCount, and the Abortion Facilities Database.

 

Abortion denial and mental health impact (the Turnaway Study)

The Turnaway Study shows that women who are denied abortions are more likely to experience financial hardship, emotional and physical harm, and that the financial wellbeing and development of their children are negatively impacted. 

For more information see Abortion Denial, Abortion Impact and the Turnaway Study.

 

Medication abortion

Medication abortion, also known as the abortion pill, is safe and commonly used to end an early pregnancy. ANSIRH research shows that medication abortion can be provided via telehealth, at pharmacies, by mail, and over the counter to increase access to abortion care, especially for those further from an abortion clinic or unable to travel.

For more information, see Medication Abortion and the California Home Abortion by Telehealth (CHAT) Study. 

 

Later abortion

ANSIRH research examines an uncommon and understudied experience: needing abortion later in pregnancy. Abortions later in pregnancy are substantially more expensive, difficult to obtain, and stigmatized than earlier abortion care. 

For more information, see our research on later abortion.
 

Self-managed abortion

Self-managed abortion is attempting to end a pregnancy on one’s own without supervision from a health care provider. For years, ANSIRH has documented various aspects of self-managed abortion and is now looking at changes following the Supreme Court decision striking down Roe. 

 

Abortion on TV and film

Entertainment media can perpetuate abortion stigma and misinformation, and at the same time, challenge it by portraying abortion providers and patients with compassion and dignity. ANSIRH’s Abortion Onscreen program regularly publishes on how abortion is depicted in U.S. scripted TV and film, analyzing what these portrayals tell us about our cultural understanding of abortion and how audiences might be influenced by what they watch.

For more information, see Abortion Onscreen. 

 

Pregnancy-specific drug and alcohol policies

Most U.S. states have policies targeting alcohol, cannabis, or drug use during pregnancy. ANSIRH research shows that at best, most policies do not affect use during pregnancy or birth outcomes. At worst, these policies can lead to increases in low birthweight and preterm birth, undermining access to health care and other supports for pregnant people and exacerbating health inequities.

  • Dr. Sarah Roberts studies the ways that policies and the health care system punish, rather than support, structurally vulnerable pregnant people, including pregnant people who use alcohol and drugs and pregnant people seeking abortion. Her research has been featured in The New York Times, The Guardian, and Axios.

For more information, see our research on pregnancy-specific drug and alcohol policy. 

 

Adoption and abortion

Research shows adoption to be a path of constrained choice for those for whom abortion is inaccessible, or for whom parenthood is untenable.

 

Birth control/contraception

Research shows that receiving birth control over the counter is safe, convenient, and desirable. Based on this and other factors, the FDA recently approval over-the-counter birth control.