More than tears: associations between exposure to chemical agents used by law enforcement and adverse reproductive health outcomes

Despite routine law enforcement use of chemical agents for crowd control, the reproductive health safety profiles of these products are unknown. Moreover, limited evidence has documented a link between such exposures and adverse reproductive health outcomes including abnormal uterine bleeding and potential pregnancy disruption. This cross-sectional study examined reproductive outcomes in adults with uteri exposed to chemical agents used by law enforcement, more commonly known as “tear gas”. Participants were recruited through social media in the wake of police violence protests. Of the 1,276 participants included in analysis, 83% reported experiencing at least one of the outcomes of interest, included uterine cramping (69%), early menstrual bleeding (55%), breast tenderness (30%), and delayed menstrual bleeding (21%). Chemical agent exposure was significantly associated with higher odds of an adverse reproductive health outcome, those with 5 days or more of exposure have 2.6 times the odds (CI: 1.61, 4.22) of adverse outcomes and having a perception that one's menstruation may fluctuate according to psychosocial stressors was associated (OR = 1.94, CI: 1.36, 2.79) with a higher odds of an adverse reproductive health experience. These findings suggest a potential relationship between exposure to chemical agents and adverse reproductive health outcomes. Given the pervasive use of these chemical agents and their potential for reproductive health harm, further investigation into the safety of these products and their impacts on individual and community health is warranted urgently

Beyond the clinic: Motivations for seeking self-induced and alternative methods of abortion care in North America

Thesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2016-12Objectives: Recent research finds that self-provided and non-clinical abortions are on the rise, largely due to abortion restrictions. This is a qualitative study with a geographically diverse sample to describe people’s motivations for using and providing alternative abortion outside the formal healthcare system in North America. Methods: Using community engagement and peer-to-peer sampling, we interviewed 23 people who had recently used and/or provided alternative abortion methods. We asked participants to describe specific influential and motivating factors related to seeking and providing alternative abortion care. We conducted a thematic analysis of the interview transcripts and developed a theoretical framework to organize and explain the results. Results: Participants were located across the United States and Canada. Most people who used alternative abortion methods reported a prior in-clinic abortion, and indicated that those experiences factored into their decisions to seek alternative abortion methods. The desire for privacy, control, and active participation in the process, were other key factors, as was gaining bodily knowledge. Community-based abortion providers described several constraints to accessing in-clinic abortions as reasons people sought their services, including financial, geographic, and logistic barriers. Conclusions: People use alternative abortion methods for a variety of reasons beyond a lack of access to clinical care, and community-based providers facilitate the provision of these methods. This research can help advocates understand the complex motivations driving the emerging trends of self-induced and community-based abortion care, and provide a critical perspective on these experiences. Ultimately, this study presents valuable information about why and how people use alternative abortion methods that can inform future access to safe abortion care in a variety of settings