Women in sub-Saharan Africa often use abortion as a method of limiting their fertility and spacing births. However, it is not well understood whether having an abortion influences contraceptive behavior. The goal of this study was to examine associations between abortion history and use of a modern contraceptive method among women in Luanda, Angola. To learn more, access the paper here.
The open access version of Bixby’s most recent publication in Social Science and Medicine – Population Health, Do Perceived Contraception Attitudes Influence Abortion Stigma? Evidence from Luanda, Angola, is now available online.
Announcing recent publication of “A Review of Behavioral Economics in Reproductive Health” by Bixby Affiliate Sarah Jane Holcombe, co-authored with her BERI/CEGA collaborators. The Behavioral Economics and Reproductive Health Initiative (BERI) is a project of the Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA).
BERI is founded on the recognition that behavioral biases among women, their partners, families and communities, and providers affect reproductive health outcomes. Insights from behavioral economics may offer possible tools to integrate into existing or new programs that improve the health of poor women and girls. The BERI Review Paper is a living document that outlines the major behavioral challenges in reproductive health, our conceptual framework of four sets of opposing forces that affect decision-making, and behavioral economics tools that may be effectively applied to reproductive health challenges. The paper highlights both existing evidence and current gaps in the research.
Full publication available here
Dr. Ndola Prata
For as far back as Dr. Ndola Prata can remember, she wanted to improve women’s health.
“My particular interest started when I was very young, basically by being around a lot of suffering of women, and learning about their reproductive needs that were not being met,” she said. At that time, Prata was growing up in Angola, a country struggling through nearly 30 years of civil war.
Prata earned her medical degree in Angola and practiced there as a physician for 10 years before coming to the United States. She also earned a master’s degree in medical demography from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. In 1998 she joined the UC Berkeley School of Public Health as a researcher and lecturer, simultaneously working as a medical demographer with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for six years. She is currently an associate professor in residence of maternal and child health.
See the full article written by Erik Neumann at Berkeley Health Online here.
