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McMann TJ, Haupt MR, Le N, Meurice ME, Li J, Cuomo RE, Mackey TK. Abortion pill marketing and sourcing on twitter following Dobbs v. Jackson supreme court ruling. EUR J CONTRACEP REPR 2024:1-6. [PMID: 38780176 DOI: 10.1080/13625187.2024.2354868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study examines abortion-related discourse on Twitter (X) pre-and post-Dobbs v. Jackson ruling, which eliminated the constitutional right to abortion. STUDY DESIGN We used a custom data collection tool to collect tweets directly from Twitter using abortion-related keywords. We used the BERTopic language model and examined the top 30 retweeted and top 30 textually similar tweets from relevant topic clusters using an inductive coding approach. We also conducted statistical testing to assess potential associations between abortion themes. RESULTS 166,799 unique tweets were collected from December 2020-December 2022. 464 unique tweets were coded for abortion-related themes with 154 identified as relevant. Of these, 66 tweets marketed abortion pills, 17 tweets were identified as offering consultations, and 91 tweets were relevant to self-managed abortion. All marketing and consultation tweets were posted post-Dobbs decision and 7 (7.69%) of self-managed tweets were posted pre-Dobbs versus 84 (92.30%) posted post-Dobbs. A positive association was found between tweets offering a medical consultation with tweets marketing abortion pills and discussing self-managed abortion. CONCLUSION This study detected online marketing of abortion pills, consultations and discussions about self-managed abortion following the Dobbs v. Jackson ruling. These results provide more context to the type of abortion-related information that is available online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiana J McMann
- Global Health Program, Department of Anthropology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Global Health Policy and Data Institute, San Diego, CA, USA
- S-3 Research, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Michael R Haupt
- Global Health Policy and Data Institute, San Diego, CA, USA
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Nicolette Le
- Global Health Program, Department of Anthropology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Global Health Policy and Data Institute, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Marielle E Meurice
- Division of Complex Family Planning, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | - Raphael E Cuomo
- Global Health Policy and Data Institute, San Diego, CA, USA
- S-3 Research, San Diego, CA, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego - School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Tim K Mackey
- Global Health Program, Department of Anthropology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Global Health Policy and Data Institute, San Diego, CA, USA
- S-3 Research, San Diego, CA, USA
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2
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Sehgal NKR, Hswen Y, Cantor J, Upadhyay UD, Reis BY, Remmel C, Brownstein JS, Rader B. The impact of abortion bans on short-term housing needs. Public Health 2024; 228:200-205. [PMID: 38412759 DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2024.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES State-level abortion bans in the United States have created a complex legal landscape that forces many prospective patients to travel long distances to access abortion care. The financial strain and logistical difficulties associated with travelling out of state for abortion care may present an insurmountable barrier to some individuals, especially to those with limited resources. Tracking the impact of these abortion bans on travel and housing is crucial for understanding abortion access and economic changes following the Dobbs U.S. Supreme Court decision. STUDY DESIGN This study used occupancy data from an average of 2,349,635 (standard deviation = 111,578) U.S. Airbnb listings each month from October 1st, 2020, through April 30th, 2023, to measure the impact of abortion bans on travel for abortion care and the resulting economic effects on regional economies. METHODS The study used a synthetic difference-in-differences design to compare monthly-level occupancy rate data from 1-bedroom entire-place Airbnb rentals within a 30-min driving distance of abortion clinics in states with and without abortion bans. RESULTS The study found a 1.4 percentage point decrease in occupancy rates of Airbnbs around abortion clinics in states where abortion bans were in effect, demonstrating reductions in Airbnb use in states with bans. In the 6-month period post Dobbs, this decrease translates to 16,548 fewer renters and a $1.87 million loss in revenue for 1-bedroom entire-place Airbnbs within a 30-min catchment area of abortion facilities in states with abortion restrictions. CONCLUSION This novel use of Airbnb data provides a unique perspective on measuring demand for abortion and healthcare services and demonstrates the value of this data stream as a tool for understanding economic impacts of health policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- N K R Sehgal
- Computational Epidemiology Lab, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Computer and Information Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Y Hswen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - J Cantor
- RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA, USA
| | - U D Upadhyay
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - B Y Reis
- Predictive Medicine Group, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - C Remmel
- Computational Epidemiology Lab, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - J S Brownstein
- Computational Epidemiology Lab, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - B Rader
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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3
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Kao YS. Do People Use ChatGPT to Replace Doctor? A Google Trends Analysis. Ann Biomed Eng 2023; 51:2652-2653. [PMID: 37335375 DOI: 10.1007/s10439-023-03285-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yung-Shuo Kao
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Taoyuan General Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, No.1492, Zhongshan Rd., Taoyuan Dist., Taoyuan City, 330, Taiwan.
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McBain RK, Cantor JH. Internet Search for 988 in the Lead Up to and Rollout of the New National Mental Health Emergency Hotline. J Gen Intern Med 2023; 38:2006-2008. [PMID: 36757666 PMCID: PMC9910238 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-023-08050-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ryan K McBain
- Department of Healthcare Delivery, RAND Corporation, Arlington, VA, USA.
| | - Jonathan H Cantor
- Department of Healthcare Delivery, RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA, USA
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5
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Pagoto SL, Palmer L, Horwitz-Willis N. The Next Infodemic: Abortion Misinformation. J Med Internet Res 2023; 25:e42582. [PMID: 37140975 DOI: 10.2196/42582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines an infodemic as the proliferation of false or misleading information that leads to confusion, mistrust in health authorities, and the rejection of public health recommendations. The devastating impacts of an infodemic on public health were felt during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are now on the precipice of another infodemic, this one regarding abortion. On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization resulted in the reversal of Roe v. Wade, which had protected a woman's right to have an abortion for nearly 50 years. The reversal of Roe v. Wade has given way to an abortion infodemic that is being exacerbated by a confusing and rapidly changing legislative landscape, the proliferation of abortion disinformants on the web, lax efforts by social media companies to abate abortion misinformation, and proposed legislation that threatens to prohibit the distribution of evidence-based abortion information. The abortion infodemic threatens to worsen the detrimental effects of the Roe v. Wade reversal on maternal morbidity and mortality. It also comes with unique barriers to traditional abatement efforts. In this piece, we lay out these challenges and urgently call for a public health research agenda on the abortion infodemic to stimulate the development of evidence-based public health efforts to mitigate the impact of misinformation on the increased maternal morbidity and mortality that is expected to result from abortion restrictions, particularly among marginalized populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherry L Pagoto
- UConn Center for mHealth and Social Media, UConn Institute for Collaboration in Health, Interventions, and Policy, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
| | - Lindsay Palmer
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
| | - Nate Horwitz-Willis
- Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts, Boston, MA, United States
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Gupta S, Perry B, Simon K. Trends in Abortion- and Contraception-Related Internet Searches After the US Supreme Court Overturned Constitutional Abortion Rights: How Much Do State Laws Matter? JAMA HEALTH FORUM 2023; 4:e230518. [PMID: 37115538 PMCID: PMC10148201 DOI: 10.1001/jamahealthforum.2023.0518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Importance The US Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization on June 24, 2022, revealed immediate and distinct differences between states regarding abortion legality. Whether the ruling was associated with population-level changes in seeking information on reproductive health care-related information is unknown. Objective To determine whether the US Supreme Court ruling on Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization was associated with increased information seeking for reproductive health care access in the states with immediately effective (trigger and pre-Roe) abortion laws vs other states. Design, Setting, and Participants This was a retrospective cross-sectional study of nationwide real-time internet search data by state-week from January 1, 2021, through July 16, 2022. Difference-in-difference event study estimates were used to evaluate abortion- and contraception-related internet searches after the Supreme Court draft majority decision was leaked on May 2, 2022, and the final ruling was issued on June 24, 2022, in states immediately affected vs other states. Data analyses were performed from July 18 to January 14, 2022. Exposures The Supreme Court's draft majority decision leaked on May 2, 2022, and the final ruling on Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization on June 24, 2022. Preexisting state trigger laws and pre-Roe bans that became effective immediately when Roe was overturned by the decision on Dobbs. Main Outcomes and Measures Number of searches per 10 million Google queries in a state-week for terms related to abortion or contraception. Results Searches for abortion-related terms increased from 16 302 to 75 746 per 10 million searches per state-week during the weeks before vs after the May 2, 2022, leak of the draft majority decision in states with trigger laws or abortion bans. This was a 42% (95% CI, 24%-59%) higher increase than in states with laws that protect abortion access. Searches for contraception also increased from 56 055 to 82 133 searches per state-week after the ruling in the states with abortion bans, 25% (95% CI, 13%-36%) higher than the increase in states protecting abortion access. Conclusions and Relevance The findings of this retrospective cross-sectional study suggest that changes in internet searching for terms related to reproductive health care can capture immediate population-level changes in information-seeking behavior regarding reproductive health care access. These data are critical for shaping health policy discussions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumedha Gupta
- Department of Economics, Indiana University, Indianapolis
| | - Brea Perry
- Department of Sociology, Indiana University, Bloomington
| | - Kosali Simon
- O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington
- National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts
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Verma N, Grossman D. Self-Managed Abortion in the United States. CURRENT OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY REPORTS 2023; 12:70-75. [PMID: 37305376 PMCID: PMC9989574 DOI: 10.1007/s13669-023-00354-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
Purpose of Review This review aims to provide up-to-date information about self-managed abortion in the USA. Recent Findings Evidence indicates that there is growing demand for self-managed abortion in the USA as obstacles to facility-based care increase, especially since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Self-managed abortion with medications is safe and effective. Summary Based on a nationally representative survey, the lifetime prevalence of self-managed abortion in the USA in 2017 was estimated to be 7%. People experiencing barriers to abortion care, including people of color, people with lower incomes, people in states that have restrictive abortion laws, and those living farther from facilities providing abortion care are more likely to attempt self-managed abortion. While people may use a range of methods to self-manage abortion, there is growing use of safe and effective medications, including mifepristone used together with misoprostol and misoprostol used alone; use of traumatic and dangerous methods is rare. While many people attempt to self-manage their abortion because of barriers to facility-based care, others have a preference for self-care because it is convenient, accessible, and private. While the medical risks of self-managed abortion may be few, the legal risks may be significant. Sixty-one people have been criminally investigated or arrested between 2000 and 2020 for allegedly self-managing their abortion or helping someone else do so. Clinicians play an important role in providing evidence-based information and care to patients considering or attempting self-managed abortion, as well as minimizing legal risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nisha Verma
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Daniel Grossman
- Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH), Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), 1330 Broadway, Suite 1100, Oakland, CA 94612 USA
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Rowlands S, Harrison-Woolrych M. The immediate post-Roe landscape. BMJ SEXUAL & REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH 2023; 49:1-2. [PMID: 35902236 DOI: 10.1136/bmjsrh-2022-201641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sam Rowlands
- Department of Medical Science & Public Health, Bournemouth University, Poole, UK
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A Real-Time Infodemiology Study on Public Interest in Mpox (Monkeypox) following the World Health Organization Global Public Health Emergency Declaration. INFORMATION 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/info14010005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Google Trends (GT) is a useful real-time surveillance tool for epidemic outbreaks such as monkeypox (Mpox). GT provides hour-by-hour (real-time) data for the last seven days of Google searches. Non-real-time data are a random sample that encompasses search trends from 2004 and up to 72 h. Google Health Trends (GHT) API extracts daily raw search probabilities relative to the time period and size of the underlying population. However, little is known about the utility of GT real-time surveillance and GHT API following the public health announcements. Thus, this study aimed to analyzed Mpox GT real-time, non-real-time, and GHT API data 72 h before and after the WHO declared Mpox a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) in the top five Mpox-affected countries. Joinpoint regression was used to measure hourly percentage changes (HPC) in search volume. The WHO PHEIC statement on Mpox generated 18,225.6 per 10 million Google searches in the U.S. and Germany (946.8), and in 0–4 h, the HPC increased by an average of 103% (95% CI: 37.4–200.0). This study showed the benefits of real-time surveillance and the GHT API for monitoring online demand for information on emerging infectious diseases such as Mpox.
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10
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Grossman D, Verma N. Self-managed Abortion in the US. JAMA 2022; 328:1693-1694. [PMID: 36318121 DOI: 10.1001/jama.2022.19057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
This Viewpoint details how clinicians can treat patients who have self-managed an abortion without putting the patient at risk for criminalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Grossman
- Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH), Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Nisha Verma
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
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