2018 Campus-Community Research Incubator Grant 

Congratulations to Rachel Perry, MD, UCI Obstetrics & Gynecology and Orli Florsheim, MS3, OC Needle Exchange Program for receiving one of the 2018 Campus-Community Research Incubator (CCRI) awards. CCRI is a small grant mechanism designed to foster collaborative, research-oriented projects between university researchers and community organizations.

The award is for their project "Understanding Contraceptive Needs of Women who Inject Drugs in Orange County: A Qualitative Study" and is one of four to receive the award this year. The project addresses the opioid epidemic, one of the most critical health issues in the United States today. Heroin use has increased among the general population but disproportionately in women ages 18-25. As a result, women of childbearing age are at particular risk for opioid-related health concerns such as unintended pregnancy which are 9 out of 10 pregnancies in opioid-abusing women.

UCI Obstetrics & Gynecology will partner with Orange County Needle Exchange Program (OCNEP) in a study to understand barriers to reproductive health care, particularly the prevention of unintended pregnancy among women with substance abuse disorders. OCNEP is a volunteer-run 501(c)3 that provides clean needles and safe injection supplies to people who use injection drugs in Orange County and surrounding areas. It is the first and only needle exchange program in Orange County. This study will allow OCNEP to address women’s preferences for family planning service delivery, and will inform interventions aimed at family planning education and provision. Abstracts for the project can be found here.