A headshot of Sarah Raifman

Sarah Raifman, PhD, MSc

Project Director and Epidemiologist

Sarah Raifman is a Project Director and social epidemiologist at Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH). She uses rigorous quantitative and qualitative methods to explore state-level policies targeting alcohol and drug use during pregnancy; the experience of being denied a legal abortion in the US and Nepal; and the safety, effectiveness, and acceptability of alternative approaches to medication abortion service provision in the US. She received a bachelor’s degree from Brown University, a master’s degree in global health from the Harvard School of Public Health, and a PhD in epidemiology from UCSF. 

For a full list of Dr. Raifman's publications, awards, and presentations, click here.

Citations
  • Murro R, Raifman S, Boscardin WJ, Puri M, Karki S, Magar AA, Maharjan D, Rocca CH, Biggs MA, Diamond-Smith N, Foster DG. Cohort profile: The Nepal Turnaway Study. medRxiv. March 2026; https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.03.10.26348060.
  • Roberts SCM, Alex Schulte, Raifman S, Liu G, Claudia Zaugg, MPH, Subbaraman MS. Mandatory warning signs for alcohol use during pregnancy and birth and infant outcomes in southern United States: a quasi-experimental study. Alcohol and Alcoholism. November 2025; https://doi.org/10.1093/alcalc/agaf076.
  • Raifman S, Roberts SCM, Rocca CH. Alcohol and drug use and attainment of pregnancy preferences in the southwestern United States: A longitudinal cohort study. Addiction. July 2025; https://doi.org/10.1111/add.70135.
  • Biggs MA, Raifman S, Claudia Zaugg, MPH, Roberts SCM. Pregnant and Recently Pregnant People’s Views on Policies That Punish Pregnant People Who Use Cannabis. Substance Use & Misuse. January 2025; https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2025.2454660.
  • Karki S, Puri M, Magar AA, Foster DG, Raifman S, Maharjan D, Diamond-Smith N. Postabortion contraceptive use among women in Nepal: results from a longitudinal cohort study. Reproductive Health. December 2024; https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-024-01931-w.
  • Barrow A, Cohen CR, Serpico J, Goodman M, Grossman D, Raifman S, Upadhyay UD. Amicus brief of over 300 reproductive health researchers supports mifepristone's safety and effectiveness. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. July 2024; https://doi.org/10.1111/psrh.12282.
  • Barrow A, Cohen CR, Serpico J, Goodman M, Grossman D, Raifman S, Upadhyay UD. Brief of over 300 reproductive health researchers as Amici Curiae in FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. July 2024; https://doi.org/10.1111/psrh.12281.
  • Raifman S, Gurazada T, Beaman J, Biggs MA, Schwarz EB, Gold M, Grossman D. Primary care and abortion provider perspectives on mail-order medication abortion: a qualitative study. BMC Women's Health. July 2024; https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-024-03202-z.
  • Grossman D, Raifman S, Natalie Morris, MPH, Arena A, Bachrach L, Beaman J, Biggs MA, Collins A, Hannum C, Ho S, Seibold-Simpson SM, Sobota M, Tocce K, Schwarz EB, Gold M. Mail-Order Pharmacy Dispensing of Mifepristone for Medication Abortion After In-Person Screening. JAMA Internal Medicine. May 2024; https://www.doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2024.1476.
  • Raifman S, Roberts SCM, Biggs MA, Rocca CH. Is legal recreational cannabis associated with cannabis use during pregnancy, beliefs about safety, and perceived community stigma?. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. January 2024; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.111079.
  • Biggs MA, Becker A, Schroeder R, Kaller S, Scott KA, Grossman D, Raifman S, Ralph LJ. Support for criminalization of self-managed abortion (SMA): A national representative survey. Social Science & Medicine. December 2023; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116433.
  • Ehrenreich K, Baba F, Raifman S, Grossman D. Perspectives on Alternative Models of Medication Abortion Provision Among Abortion Patients in the United States. Women's Health Issues. April 2023; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.whi.2023.03.007.
  • Puri M, Raifman S, Daniel S, Karki S, Maharjan D, Chris Ahlbach, Diamond-Smith N, Foster DG. Denial of legal abortion in Nepal. PLOS One. March 2023; https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0282886.
  • Roberts SCM, Raifman S, Biggs MA. Relationship between mandatory warning signs for cannabis use during pregnancy policies and birth outcomes in the Western United States. Preventative Medicine. October 2022; DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2022.107297.
  • Grossman D, Raifman S, Natalie Morris, MPH, Arena A, Bachrach L, Beaman J, Biggs MA, Hannum C, Ho S, Schwarz EB, Gold M. Mail-order pharmacy dispensing of mifepristone for medication abortion after in-person clinical assessment. Contraception. October 2021; DOI: 10.1016/j.contraception.2021.09.008.
  • Raifman S, Ralph LJ, Biggs MA, Grossman D. “I’ll just deal with this on my own”: a qualitative exploration of experiences with self-managed abortion in the United States. Reproductive Health. May 2021; 2021; 18:91.
  • Kaller S, Daniel S, Raifman S, Biggs MA, Grossman D. Pre-abortion informed consent through telemedicine vs. in person: Differences in patient demographics and visit satisfaction. Women's Health Issues. April 2021; [Epub ahead of print].
  • Raifman S, Baum SE, Kari White, Hopkins K, Ogburn T, Grossman D. Perspectives on self-managed abortion among providers in hospitals along the Texas-Mexico border. BMC Women's Health. March 2021; 21:132.
  • Raifman S, Sierra G, Grossman D, Baum SE, Hopkins K, Potter JE, Kari White. Border-state abortions increased for Texas residents after House Bill 2. Contraception. March 2021; [Epub ahead of print].
  • Raifman S, Biggs MA, Ralph LJ, Ehrenreich K, Grossman D. Exploring attitudes about the legality of self managed abortion in the US: Results from a nationally representative survey. Journal of Sexuality Research and Social Policy. March 2021; [Epub ahead of print].
  • Grossman D, Baba F, Kaller S, Biggs MA, Raifman S, Gurazada T, Rafie S, Averbach S, Meckstroth KR, Micks EA, Berry E, Raine-Bennett T, Creinin MD. Medication abortion with pharmacist dispensing of mifepristone. Obstetrics & Gynecology. March 2021; [Epub ahead of print].

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