News

Access to abortion care has become increasingly complex in the aftermath of shifting political decisions and mounting restrictions across the United States. With last week’s transition in Washington DC, federal-level abortion access is back in the national spotlight. 

Join us for an exciting event to learn about the Wallace Center’s research and partnership with Alameda Health System & Beloved Birth Black Centering! Connect with others interested in maternal, child and adolescent health and learn about the intersections between innovation, digital technology, and public health. Register here.

This article explores how clinicians in California manage essential postpartum care, highlighting top priorities and uncovering gaps in addressing social factors. With Medi-Cal's extended postpartum coverage, this research sheds light on what's working—and what still needs improvement. Read more to discover key insights on how we can enhance postpartum care for new mothers!

Explore the future of maternal healthcare through the eyes of community doulas! This new study dives into how doulas are envisioning innovative solutions to improve the perinatal experiences and health outcomes of birthing people of color in the U.S.

Discover the latest insights on Medicaid doula services in California! With key findings on how doula services can improve maternal health outcomes, this publication highlights both facilitators and barriers to making these benefits accessible. This study dives into the opportunities and challenges of implementing Medi-Cal coverage for doulas, focusing on the perspectives of managed care plans and risk-bearing organizations.

Dr. Kim Harley will serve on the Developmental and Reproductive Toxicant Identification Committee (DARTIC) which is the group that decides which chemicals get Prop 65 labels stating that they are "known to the state to cause birth defects or reproductive harm". Proposition 65, officially known as the Safe Drinking Water and To

What does this mean for people who need abortion care in the U.S.?

On April 2, the Wallace Center hosted a Career Lunch with Dr. Sophia Yen, founder of Pandia Health. Pandia Health is an online service that provides birth control and emergency contraception to clients across the country, reaching all 50 states. Customers without a prescription in 17 states can pay $30 for an online evaluation to receive a prescription from one of Pandia Health’s doctors. Dr. Yen shared about her experiences starting a telehealth company and being a femtech entrepreneur.

Join us Tuesday, April 2 to learn more about Pandia Health from founder Sophia Yen. 

Black women in the U.S. are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. That racial disparity is true even in California, which has a maternal mortality rate lower than the national average. Now a program in Oakland is trying to change those outcomes and possibly provide a model for other parts of the state.

Daisy Nguyen from member station KQED reports, featuring the Wallace Center's Dr. Kim Harley. 

BElovedBIRTH Black Centering is resulting in healthier births and prompting state officials to look into expanding it to other public hospitals in California. 

New study from Betsy Pleasants, Julia Ryan, Dr. Cassondra Marshall, and Dr. Ndola Prata finds people commonly wrote about contraceptive side effects and experiences using methods on r/birthcontrol, highlighting the value of r/birthcontrol as a space to post about aspects of contraceptive use that are not well addressed by clinical contraceptive counseling. The value of real-time, open-access data on contraceptive users’ interests is especially high given the shifting landscape of and increasing constraints on reproductive health care in the United States.

The Wallace Center’s Dr. Cassondra Marshall published a new study looking at perceived quality of prenatal and postpartum telehealth visits during COVID-19 and to examine the association between telehealth quality during the pandemic and future telehealth preferences. The new study reflected the importance of offering appointment options that match patient preferences, especially populations that face barriers in access to care, and to explore ways to personalize care and support positive patient-provider relationships.

A new study finds observed associations of glyphosate or AMPA exposure during childhood with liver inflammation and metabolic syndrome at young adulthood and agricultural glyphosate use during the prenatal period and/or childhood (from birth to age 5 years old) was associated with metabolic syndrome at 18 years old. This study suggests that glyphosate, the most commonly used herbicide worldwide, and AMPA, a degradation product of glyphosate and amino-phosphonates, may increase risk of liver inflammation and/or cardiometabolic disease in young adulthood.

In a world where many engage in social media daily and frequently, it is important to learn how public health intersects with these powerful communication platforms. The Promoting Research in Social Media (PRISM) Health Symposium hosted by UCSF November 2020, hosted many talented researchers and panelists from various institutions, who shared their innovative work relating to social media and health research. 

International interventions