Contraception clinical trials at UCSD

The goal of this research study is to learn more about how different uses of a numbing medication might affect pain levels while getting an IUD placed. The investigators are also studying patients' opinions of their clinicians' empathy. The investigators are inviting patients who have never given birth who arrive at their clinic visit seeking an IUD. Usually, at University of California, San Diego (UCSD), for patients who have never delivered, clinicians numb both the sides of the cervix with a lidocaine-based paracervical block. The purpose of this research study is to compare perceptions of pain between buffered (2 cc of sodium bicarbonate, 18 cc of 1% lidocaine) vs. unbuffered paracervical block (20 cc 1% lidocaine) during IUD placement for nulliparous women.

The goal of this research study is to learn more about how different uses of a numbing medication might affect pain levels while getting an IUD placed. The investigators are also studying patients' opinions of their clinicians' empathy. The investigators are inviting patients who have never given birth who arrive at their clinic visit seeking an IUD. Usually, at University of California, San Diego (UCSD), for patients who have never delivered, clinicians numb both the sides of the cervix with a lidocaine-based paracervical block. The purpose of this research study is to compare perceptions of pain between lidocaine-infused gel and non-medicated gel inserted into the vagina before paracervical block and IUD placement for nulliparous women.

The goal of this research study is to learn more about how different uses of a numbing medication might affect pain levels while getting an IUD placed. The investigators are also studying participants opinions of their clinicians' empathy. The investigators are inviting patients who arrive at their clinic visit seeking an IUD. Usually, at University of California, San Diego (UCSD), for patients who have never delivered a baby, clinicians use a buffered paracervical block for before IUD placement. The purpose of this research study is to investigate whether a "buffered" (2 cc of sodium bicarbonate, 18 cc of 1% lidocaine) paracervical block (numbing medication given on both sides of the cervix) is effective in reducing pain during IUD placement in individuals with prior C-sections, the difference between buffered and unbuffered for nulliparous patients, and whether a medicated gel reduces pain with the paracervical block.

The investigators have developed a web-based decision support tool to help women Veterans get the information and care they need to achieve their reproductive goals, whether that includes optimizing their health before desired pregnancies or birth control to avoid unwanted pregnancies. The study will test the effect of sending a weblink to the decision tool to women Veterans prior to primary care visits at the VA. Half of participants will be sent a weblink before their appointment, and half will not be sent the link. The investigators hypothesize that participants who are sent the link will be more likely to report patient-centered discussions of their reproductive needs at visits, feel confident in communicating with their health care providers, have accurate knowledge about reproductive health, and choose birth control methods that best fit their preferences and needs.

This study aims to examine how to implement a gender-transformative post-partum family planning program integrated into community-based infant vaccination services, and to evaluate preliminary effectiveness of this approach on postpartum contraceptive use in a low resource, rural setting.

The investigators will conduct an observational study comparing the number of bleeding days before and after contraceptive implant (Nexplanon) replacement.