Ushma Upadhyay
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About Ushma
Upadhyay is a public health Social Scientist trained in epidemiology and demography. Her expertise is in abortion safety, abortion access in the U.S., medication abortion, and state-level abortion restrictions. Currently, she is conducting research on the safety, efficacy, and acceptability of de-medicalized models of medication abortion care. As part of this work, she aims to understand how tele-health for abortion care impacts health equity. Upadhyay serves as Director of Research of the University of California Global Health Institute's Center of Expertise in Women’s Health, Gender, and Empowerment.
Contributions
Women's Experience with a 72-Hour Waiting Period for Abortion
No Jargon Podcast
In the News
Publications
Examines whether accessing abortion allows women to achieve personal life goals. Data are from the Turnaway Study, and compared 4 groups of women: women who were just over a facility’s gestational age limit, were denied an abortion and went on to parent the child; or did not parent; women who were just under a facility’s gestational age limit and received an abortion; and women who presented in the first trimester and received an abortion.
Examines almost 55,000 abortions among women covered by the California Medicaid program, Medi-Cal, to estimate rate of complications from abortion, including complications diagnosed or treated at emergency departments (EDs).
Examines factors influencing delay in seeking abortion and the outcomes for women denied abortion care because of gestational age limits at abortion facilities. Finds that adolescents and women who did not recognize they were pregnant early were most likely to delay seeking care. Argues that the most common reason for delay was having to raise money for travel and procedure costs. Estimates that more than 4000 women a year are denied an abortion in the U.S. because of facility gestational limits and must carry unwanted pregnancies to term.
Develops and validates a multidimensional instrument to measure “reproductive autonomy” or women’s ability to achieve their reproductive intentions. Provides researchers with a tool to assess women’s power regarding contraceptive use, pregnancy, and childbearing, both domestically and globally.