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The Massachusetts Sexual and Reproductive Health Program

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The Massachusetts Sexual and Reproductive Health Program

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Luu D Ireland has over a decade of experience in obstetrics and gynecology. Currently, she serves as an assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Luu D. Ireland has written numerous publications on reproductive and sexual health, and is also a member of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and of Physicians for Reproductive Health.

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PRH Hosts Advocates on the Frontlines Fundraiser

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PRH Hosts Advocates on the Frontlines Fundraiser

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An accomplished medical professional, Dr. Luu D. Ireland is an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at UMass Memorial Medical Center and the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Augmenting this work, Dr. Luu D. Ireland is a member of Physicians for Reproductive Health (PRH), which represents reproductive health physicians across the country.

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Who chooses abortion? More women than you might think | AP National News | tucson.com

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Who chooses abortion? More women than you might think | AP National News | tucson.com

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The abortion debate is at the center of U.S. political dialogue. As of June 2018, 49 percent of Americans consider themselves pro-choice, while 45 percent consider themselves pro-life. Voices from both sides flood social media feeds, while newspapers, radio and television programs frequently cover the topic.

One important group's voice is often absent in this heated debate: the women who choose abortion. While 1 in 4 women will undergo abortion in her lifetime, stigma keeps their stories untold. As an obstetrician/gynecologist who provides full spectrum reproductive health care, including abortion, I hear these stories daily.

Unintended pregnancy

One of my patients is a working mother of two small children. She came to see me when her youngest was five months old. She was breastfeeding and did not think she could become pregnant. She couldn't afford childcare for a third child, and her family depended on her salary to survive.

Unintended pregnancy remains most common among poor women, women of color and women without a high school education. Women living in poverty have a rate of unintended pregnancy five times higher than those with middle or high incomes. Black women are twice as likely to have an unintended pregnancy as white women.

Barriers to birth control play a major role. Among women with unintended pregnancies, 54 percent were using no birth control. Another 41 percent were inconsistently using birth control at the time of conception.

Forty-two percent of women with unintended pregnancy choose to end their pregnancies.

The women who choose abortion

Abortion is a routine part of reproductive health care. Approximately 25 percent of women in the U.S. will undergo an abortion before the age of 45. The Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy institute in New York City, has been tracking these data for the last 50 years.

Women of all races and ethnicities choose abortion. In 2014, 39 percent of abortion patients were white, 28 percent were black and 25 percent were Latina. Similarly, women of all religious affiliations choose to end their pregnancies.

Most of these women understand what it means to parent a child. More than half of abortion patients in 2014 were already mothers.

Poor women account for the majority of abortion patients. Fifty-three percent of women pay out-of-pocket for their abortion. The rest use private or state-funded insurance plans.

Women choose abortion for multiple reasons. The most common reason cited is that pregnancy would interfere with education, work or ability to care of dependents.

Financial stress also plays a major role in women's decision making. Seventy-three percent of women reported that they could not afford a baby at the time. Nearly half cited relationship difficulties or wanting to avoid single motherhood. More than a third of women felt their families were complete.

Twelve percent chose abortion due to their own health problems. For example, one of my patients and her husband were thrilled to find out she was pregnant for the first time. Then she received the diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer. She had to choose between lifesaving chemotherapy and radiation or her pregnancy.

Safety of abortion

Nine in 10 women who receive abortions undergo abortion in the first trimester. Only 1.3 percent of abortions happen with pregnancies past 20 weeks gestation.

When performed legally by skilled practitioners, abortion is a safe medical procedure with a low complication rate. The risk of major complications - such as hospitalization, infection, blood transfusion or surgery - in first-trimester procedures is less than 0.5 percent. The risk of dying in childbirth is 14 times higher than the risk of dying from safe abortion.

Conversely, the negative impacts from abortion restrictions are well-documented. Women unable to obtain abortions are more likely live in poverty or depend on cash assistance, and less likely to work full-time.

In my view, women need safe access to abortion as part of their health care.

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Who chooses abortion? More women than you might think

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The abortion debate is at the center of U.S. political dialogue. As of June 2018, 49 percent of Americans consider themselves pro-choice, while 45 percent consider themselves pro-life. Voices from both sides flood social media feeds, while newspapers, radio and television programs frequently cover the topic.

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We need your feedback! Please tell us about your understanding and perceptions of ORCID and your experience of using your iD by completing our community survey. Thank you!

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Semantic Scholar profile for Luu Doan Ireland, with fewer than 50 highly influential citations.

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Ever wondered if an IUD is for you? There are currently three types of IUD: the Mirena and Skyla are hormonal IUDs that contain progesterone, a low-dose birth control hormone. The Paragard is a copper IUD that prevents pregnancy because copper is toxic to sperm. Dr. Luu Ireland, an obstetrician/gynecologist and fellow in Family Planning at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, answers common questions and concerns about the risks of using an IUD.
Isn't it bad to have something in my body for a long time?
Dr. Ireland says no, unless you have a sexually transmitted infection (STI) at the time of insertion, which can increase the risk of infection with an IUD.
Will using an IUD affect my ability to get pregnant in the future?
Dr. Ireland says that there are no lasting effects on fertility - once you take out the IUD, fertility is restored.
I hear you stop getting periods with the hormonal IUD. Isn't this bad for you?
According to Dr. Ireland, this happens in about 30% of the cases of those who have a hormonal IUD, but it isn't necessarily a bad thing. She suggests that if you like to have a monthly period and feel more comfortable knowing that your cycle hasn't been disrupted, the copper IUD may be a better option.
Do IUDs cause blood clots?
Dr. Ireland says that neither the hormonal or copper IUDs effect the risk of developing a blood clot. She says:
"All in all, IUDs are a very safe, reliable, and hassle-free way to prevent pregnancy. It is a great option for anyone who is serious about preventing pregnancy, whether that's for a short or long period of time. While you can have the IUD removed at any time, you can keep the Skyla hormonal IUD in place for up to 3 years, the Mirena hormonal IUD up to 5 years, and the Paragard copper IUD for up to 12 years. There are no pills to remember, no patch to change, and no appointments for shots to rush to. It just keeps on working until you are ready to have it removed."
However, Dr. Ireland does caution that while IUDs are a very effective method of birth control, they do not prevent sexually transmitted infections. She recommends the use of condoms when women are concerned about STI protection.

Read more here.

Tags: contraception, Female fertility

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Ever wondered if an IUD is for you? There are currently three types of IUD: the Mirena and Skyla are hormonal IUDs that contain progesterone, a low-dose birth control hormone. The Paragard is a copper IUD that prevents pregnancy because copper is toxic to sperm.

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Luu D. Ireland - Profile on The Conversation

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Luu D. Ireland is an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.