Borrero

What happens to Veterans who become pregnant when using contraception?

In a study published by the Journal of Women's Health, CONVERGE's Drs. Chang, Callegari, Borrero, and Quinn found that these pregnancies are more likely to end in an abortion than live birth. Given widespread reproductive health restrictions across the US, ensuring Veterans' access to comprehensive health care, including abortion, is critical to supporting reproductive autonomy and whole health.

MyVoice:CF is acceptable, appropriate, and usable for those with cystic fibrosis (CF). Among a sample of 43 participants, preliminary effectiveness evaluation suggests that MyVoice:CF improves self-efficacy in and frequency of reproductive health communication.
 

Director Dr. Sonya Borrero received the 2024 ICRE Distinguished Alumnus Award in Clinical Research. Congrats. We're thrilled to celebrate Dr. Borrero's incredible contributions to the field of health care! 

Join CONVERGE faculty members, Marian Jarlenski, PhD, MPH, Suji Uhm, MD, MPH, Sonya Borrero, MD, MS, Mehret Birru Talabi, PhD, MD, and Greer Donley, JD, at Medicine Grand Rounds for Dobbs, Abortion Bans, and Repercussions on the Practice of Medicine.

Join out team members Drs. Dara Mendez, Sonya Borrero, Mehret Birru Talabi, and Greer Donley as they speak at the Let’s Talk about Reproductive Justice happening next week, April 17th.

The freedom to use one’s preferred contraceptive method—or no method—is fundamental to reproductive autonomy, which is a particularly salient issue for disabled people, who face substantial barriers to person-centered contraceptive care while also being subjected to interference in reproductive decision making.

Dr. Kazmerski , Olivia Stransky, Catherine Wright, Dr. Birru Talabi, Dr. Callegari, Dr. Chang, Dr. Miller, Ashley Deal, Raelynn O'Leary, and Dr. Borrero conducted a study on our femtech tool MyVoice:CF showing that the tool increases self-efficacy and reproductive health communication for those with cystic fibrosis.  

Read more about their findings here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37833123/

Drs. Mosley and Borrero developed a web-based decision aid to support permanent contraception decision called My Decision/Mi Decisión. This tool includes written and video information about tubal sterilization procedures; an interactive table of contraception options; values clarification exercises; reflection and deliberation; knowledge checks; and a summary report to share with one's provider. Users found the decision aid to be informative, engaging, easy to use, and helpful in informing contraception decision making.

National Veteran Affairs guidance recommends regular assessment of reproductive goals at primary care visits. However, Drs. Quinn, Borrero, and Callegari found that fewer than half (44%) of pregnancy capable veterans reported receiving any reproductive health services (i.e., contraceptive services, pre-pregnancy counseling or both) from a VA primary care provider in the last year. In this article the team discusses the femtech tool MyPath as a way to promote patient-centered conversations about reproductive goals and needs for services.

Integration of reproductive health services into primary care is a strategy to address service gaps and improve patient-centered care. This study assessed receipt of contraceptive and pre-pregnancy health counseling among pregnancy-capable Veterans within VA primary care.