Members of the UW Department recently authored an article published in the Wisconsin Medical Journal. Authors include ob-gyn resident Kharmen Bharucha, MD,PGY-4; Kristina Kaljo, PhD, associate professor in the UW Department of Ob-Gyn; Laura Hanks, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn; and Tess Jewell, MD, MPH.
In “The Physician’s Duty to Care for Others: Resistance Against Evidence-Based Gender-Affirming Care Among Physician Trainees,” the authors explored first-year resident physician attitudes toward gender-affirming care. Gender-affirming care (GAC) is an evidence-based form of medicine but is increasingly under threat across the country. First-year residents in obstetrics and gynecology, urology, plastic surgery, family medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics in the United States were invited to participate in a survey and qualitative responses to an open-text question were analyzed inductively to identify themes. The authors found that:
“... some residents hold biases that could negatively impact the care provided to [transgender and gender-diverse] patients. Some questioned the philosophical foundations of gender, others doubted the evidence base for GAC, and one disapproved based on religious beliefs. Prior research based on patient perspectives has demonstrated the need for clinician education on TGD health. Our findings echo this need and build upon this literature by incorporating the perspectives of physicians in training. Taken together, both patients and clinicians identify TGD health as an essential educational topic.”
Read the whole article here.
**by Ob-Gyn Communications Intern Melis Baskaya
Laura Hanks, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn, recently joined the Birth with Babylist podcast for several episodes on pain management and labor. Birth with Babylist aims to inform listeners about the birth process by sharing real stories and expert insights.
In Episode 8, “What Happens When Birth Doesn’t Go to Plan?,” Hanks and fellow guests discussed what an induction is and when it’s medically recommended versus elective, why a C-section might be recommended during labor, and how the two types of assisted vaginal delivery tools (forceps and vacuum) work and when they might be recommended.
In additional episodes, Hanks discussed additional details about labor, what happens inside the delivery room, and what to do when a birth doesn’t go as planned.
Learn more about the episodes and listen to the podcast here.
**by Ob-Gyn Communications Intern Melis Baskaya
UW Department of Ob-Gyn resident Kitty Thigpen, MD, PGY-1, and Laura Hanks, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn, recently co-authored an article published in Frontiers in Reproductive Health. Co-authors include Natalia Gontarczyk Uczkowksi, MPH; Amy Godecker, PhD, MS; Madison Seifer; and Alexandra Sabgir.
In “Characterizing ovarian histopathology in transgender and gender-diverse patients on testosterone: Informing shared decision-making in gender-affirming care,” the authors aimed to describe the characteristics of the ovarian histopathology exemplified in transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) and contribute to the growing gender-affirming care database that guides shared decision making between providers and patients that best align with a patient's mental and physical health goals.
This observational study reviewed all hysterectomies performed in TGD individuals for primary or secondary indication of gender dysphoria. Ovarian pathology reports and medical records for all subjects who underwent unilateral and bilateral oophorectomy at the time of their hysterectomy were reviewed, and patient demographics, indication for procedure, and preoperative testosterone use were abstracted. The authors concluded that:
“Ovarian pathology observed in this cohort of TGD individuals undergoing gender-affirming hysterectomy is consistent with previously reported findings, with benign ovarian changes being most common among TGD patients. However, rare outcomes and pathologies with long latency periods require substantially larger cohorts and longer follow-up to detect. As such, the absence of uncommon or malignant findings in this study should not be interpreted as evidence of low population risk. Rather, these results contribute incremental data to the limited body of evidence describing ovarian pathology in TGD individuals using testosterone.”
Read the whole article here.
**by Ob-Gyn Communications Intern Melis Baskaya
Members of the UW Department have recently authored an article published in the Wisconsin Medical Journal. Authors include PGY-3 Resident Abbey Knickerbocker, MD; Nathan R. Jones, PhD, Senior Project Director at the UW Survey Center; Kristina Kaljo, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Ob-Gyn; and Laura Hanks, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn.
In “Transformative Impact: Advancing Resident Competence and Confidence in Gender-Affirming Care Through a Multimodal Transgender Health Curriculum,” the authors sought to evaluate the impact of a longitudinal multimodal educational intervention on obstetrics and gynecology residents’ knowledge, confidence, and comfort in providing gender-affirming care. An educational transgender and gender-diverse curriculum incorporating didactics, clinical experiences, and surgical exposure was implemented within the obstetrics and gynecology residency program at a single academic medical center over 1 year. The authors found that:
“Residents demonstrated substantial improvements across multiple domains of transgender and gender-diverse care, including understanding of transgender care, confidence in counseling for gender-affirming surgery, comfort with hormone therapy management, and comfort describing hormone effects. Qualitative analysis identified themes of enhanced clinical awareness, shifts in professional identity through transformative learning, and awareness of systemic barriers that may impact provision of care.”
Read the whole article here.
**by Ob-Gyn Communications Intern Melis Baskaya
Laura Hanks, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn, recently joined the Birth with Babylist podcast as their first guest. Birth with Babylist aims to inform listeners about the birth process by sharing real stories and expert insights.
In “Own Your Birth Experience”, Hanks and fellow guest Victoria Dean, CPM, LM, walk through what birth actually looks like, from early labor through delivery, breaking down the stages of labor, what’s normal, what’s unpredictable, and what to prepare for.
Learn more about the episode and listen to the podcast here.
**by Ob-Gyn Communications Intern Melis Baskaya
On October 9, 2025, Laura Hanks, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn, presented the Grand Rounds lecture “Breaking the Cycle: Inducing Amenorrhea in Transgender and Gender Diverse Patients”.
In the lecture, Hanks discussed the medical rationale and benefits of inducing amenorrhea in transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) individuals; the different methods of inducing amenorrhea, including hormonal and non-hormonal approaches; and how to develop personalized care plans for TGD individuals seeking amenorrhea, remembering individual preferences and health status.
Watch the whole lecture here.
**by Ob-Gyn Communications Intern Melis Baskaya
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists District VI Annual Meeting was held September 19-21, 2025 in St. Louis, MO. UW Department of Ob-Gyn faculty and residents held leadership roles and presented research at the meeting. Learn more about their exciting accomplishments:
Amy Domeyer-Klenske, MD, associate professor and director of the Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn (ASOG) serves as the District VI Legislative Chair.
Laura Hanks, MD, assistant professor in the Division of ASOG, serves as the ACOG Wisconsin Section Vice Chair and Legislative Chair. Hanks also presented the poster The Uterus Unveiled: Comparing Pathology and Histology in Transgender and Cisgender Individuals.
Ryan McDonald, MD, professor in the Division of ASOG, finished his term as the District VI Continuing Medical Education (CME) Representative and began his term as the national ACOG CME Chair-Elect. He also presented on pregnancy and cannabis during the Joint District Maternal Mortality Summit.
Ob-Gyn residents had a successful conference, with award-winning research and several leadership roles. Jeannette Larson, MD, PGY-4, received the District VI Donald F. Richardson Paper prize for the presentation Tubes and Turns: How Politics Tied the Knot on Reproductive Choices.
Taylor Badger, MD, PGY-2, served as the ACOG District VI Junior Fellow Vice Chair. Hannah Ahrendt, MD, PGY-1, served as the ACOG District VI Junior Fellow Secretary/Treasurer. Maya Adler, MD, PGY-2, attended as the University of Wisconsin program representative. Michelle DeMeo, MD, PGY-2, served as the Wisconsin Section Junior Fellow Vice Chair.
Incredible work, all!
Amy Domeyer-Klenske, MD, director of the Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn, and Laura Hanks, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn, attended the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) State Legislative Roundtable conference in Phoenix September 4-6, 2025.
Domeyer-Klenske attended in her capacity as the ACOG Wisconsin Section chair, while Hanks joined as part of her role as the ACOG District VI Legislative Chair. During the event, they learned about health policy issues that affect ob-gyn patients and providers.
Laura Hanks, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn, joined WMTV15 News for a recent story on exercise recommendations for pregnant individuals.
In “Madison OB-GYN encourages CrossFit for expecting mothers”, Hanks stated that it is safe to hit the gym during pregnancy, but with some slight variations.
“‘You might see us doing some burpees today,’ Dr. Hanks said. ‘As you’re getting more pregnant, I obviously don’t want my patients going down on the floor belly down.’”
Hanks has delivered three babies for her friends from the gym they frequent, CrossFit Sanctify.
Read and watch the full news segment here.
**by Ob-Gyn Communications Intern Melis Baskaya
Laura Hanks, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn, recently spoke to the Cap Times about the impacts the recent Madison heat wave can have on pregnancy.
In “Madison doctor warns extreme heat can affect pregnancies”, Hanks spoke about the impacts of extreme heat on pregnant individuals, as well as how people can protect themselves from extreme heat:
“‘I graduated med school 10 years ago now, kind of the time that we were just starting to talk about climate change and how that may impact not only pregnant patients, but all of us,’ Hanks said. ‘It definitely wasn't a huge part of our medical education, unfortunately, and I still think that it's not as big a part of our education as it should be.’”
Read the whole article here.
**by Ob-Gyn Communications Intern Melis Baskaya
Laura Hanks, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Obstetrics and Gynecology, joined WQOW for a recent story about an increase in patient requests for long-acting reversible contraception (LARCs) within the UW Health system.
In “Doctors see influx of requests for long-acting reversible contraception,” Hanks talked about recent contraceptive trends after the Dobbs Decision and the November 2024 presidential election.
"I will tell you that we all received an email within the first month after Trump was elected, asking if we would be willing to open up more clinic time to accommodate the huge influx of requests for lark and permanent sterilization.”
She also talked about how to effectively manage pain before and after an IUD insertion.
You can read the full article here.
**by Ob-Gyn Communications Intern Paige Stevenson
Laura Hanks, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Obstetrics and Gynecology, spoke with WKOW for a recent story about long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) and an increase in patients seeking this option.
In “Doctors see influx of requests for long-acting reversible contraception,” Hanks mentioned how LARCs and permanent sterilization rates have increased since the US Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision in 2022. A recent study found a 106% increase in permanent sterilization rates in the year after Dobbs.
While there is not current data on requests for LARCs or permanent sterilization since the November 2024 presidential election, Hanks shared anecdotal evidence of increased desire for these methods.
"I will tell you that we all received an email within the first month after Trump was elected, asking if we would be willing to open up more clinic time to accommodate the huge influx of requests for LARC and permanent sterilization.”
You can read the full article here.
**by Ob-Gyn Communications Intern Paige Stevenson
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists hosted the 2025 Congressional Leadership Conference in Washington, DC, March 9-11. This year’s conference theme was Ob-Gyns in Action: Turning Purpose into Policy, highlighting the ways ob-gyn experts can have a role in shaping health policy.
Many members of the UW Department of Ob-Gyn attended the conference to strengthen their advocacy skills and meet with Wisconsin legislators to discuss issues like rural obstetric care and policy impacts on Medicaid and Medicare.
Faculty:
- Amy Domeyer-Klenske, MD – Director, Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn
- Laura Hanks, MD – assistant professor, Division of ASOG
- Abigail Nelezen, MD – assistant professor, Division of ASOG
- Doug Laube, MD – emeritus faculty
Trainees:
- Taylor Badger, MD – PGY-1 resident
- Michelle DeMeo, MD – PGY-1 resident
- Jackie Powell, MD – Maternal-Fetal Medicine fellow
- Ben Pickus, MD - PGY-4 resident
- Margaret Williams, MD - PGY-4 resident
Medical Students:
- Laurie Lapp
- Kaitlyn Landry
Incredible work, all!
Laura Hanks, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Obstetrics and Gynecology joined the Cap Times for a story about local sterilization rates.
The Cap Times article “Sterilization rate at Madison hospital doubled after abortion ruling, study finds” shared data from a study co-authored by Hanks in the most recent issue of the Wisconsin Medical Journal. Hanks’s study found that surgical sterilization rates for pregnancy-capable patients at UnityPoint Health-Meriter Hospital rose 106% from 2016 to 2023. Hanks mentioned some of the reasons patients were interested in sterilization after the Dobbs decision:
“Hanks said more people are choosing surgical sterilization due to concerns that, should they become pregnant, access to abortion services could be restricted. She also said other forms of contraception aren’t 100% effective and might be unsuitable for all patients.”
You can read the full article here.
**by Ob-Gyn Communications Intern Paige Stevenson
UW Department of Ob-Gyn resident Jeannette Larson, MD, PGY-3, Laura Jacques, MD, associate professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn, and Laura Hanks, MD, clinical assistant professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn, co-authored a new article published in the Wisconsin Medical Journal. Co-authors included Camille Phillips and Amy Godecker, PhD.
In “Sterilization Rates of Pregnancy-Capable People at a Single Institution in Wisconsin Before and After Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization,” the authors used retrospective cohort data to examine the rate of tubal sterilizations from 2016-2022 to the rates of sterilization from 2022-2023, the first year after the Dobbs decision.
“There was an increase in the rate of interval sterilization procedures for pregnancy-capable people – particularly among younger and nulliparous patients – at a single academic institution in Wisconsin in the year following the Dobbs decision.”
Read the full article here.
**by Ob-Gyn Communications Intern Paige Stevenson
Members of the UW Department of Ob-Gyn attended the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Districts I, V, and VI Annual District Meeting in Boston September 27-29, 2024. Read on for just a few of their wonderful accomplishments at the meeting!
Ob-Gyn resident Ben Pickus, MD, PGY-4, and Laura Hanks, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn, presented the poster “Improving Access to Gender-Affirming Hysterectomy: A Quality Improvement Effort” during the conference.
Amy Domeyer-Klenske, MD, director of the Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn, spoke on the panel “Sharing your Voice through Op-Ed Writing”. During the conference, she also completed her multi-year term as chair of the ACOG Wisconsin Section.
Congratulations to all who attended and participated in the ACOG District VI Annual Meeting!
On September 19, 2024, Laura Hanks, MD, clinical assistant professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn, presented the Grand Rounds lecture “A Century of Sex, Science, and Gender.”
In the lecture, Hanks examined the history of gender-affirming care. She analyzed two perspectives — one on the patient side and one on the doctor’s side — in order to assess how the media has changed its reporting around sex and gender throughout time, and advocacy for gender-affirming care.
You can watch the whole lecture here.
Every summer, Shapiro Summer Research students collaborate with UW Department of Ob-Gyn faculty on research projects. On August 1, the 2024 Shapiro Summer Research students presented their projects during Ob-Gyn Grand Rounds.
Presenters, mentors, and projects were:
Michelle Lin, mentored by Kara Hoppe, DO, MS: The Effects of the Dobbs Decision on Sterilization Rates Based on Location Across Wisconsin
Madison Seifer, mentored by Laura Hanks, MD: Postoperative complications following gender-affirming hysterectomies
Srishi Gupta, mentored by Kara Hoppe, DO, MS: Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring in Young Adult Women With and Without a History of Hypertension in Pregnancy
Estelle Ndukwe, mentored by Abigail Cutler, MD, MPH: Referrals in Abortion Care
Alexandra Sabgir, mentored by Bala Bhagavath, MD: Pelvic Infection after Egg Retrieval in Patients with Endometriosis
Watch all the presentations here.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists hosted the 2024 Congressional Leadership Conference in Washington, DC, March 3-5. Many members of the UW Department of Ob-Gyn attended the conference to strengthen their advocacy skills and meet with Wisconsin legislators to discuss issues like Medicare payment and improving maternal mortality. - Amy Domeyer-Klenske, MD – Division of ASOG Director and associate professor
- Laura Hanks, MD – assistant professor, Division of ASOG
- Carley Zeal, MD – assistant professor, Division of ASOG
- Katie O’Brien, MD – soon-to-be assistant professor, Division of ASOG
- Doug Laube, MD – emeritus faculty
- Jackie Powell, MD – Maternal-Fetal Medicine fellow
- Ben Pickus, MD - PGY-3 resident
- Margaret Williams, MD - PGY-3 resident
- Laurie Lapp
- Kaitlyn Landry
The Wisconsin Section of ACOG also won the State Legislative Advocacy Award during the conference. Congratulations, all!
Laura Hanks, MD, clinical assistant professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Obstetrics and Gynecology, shared her experiences traveling to Gambia on the UW School of Medicine and Public Health Department of Surgery’s Global Surgery website. Hanks was a visiting lecturer at the Edward Francis Teaching Hospital in March of 2024.
In “In My Own Words: Dr. Hanks’ trip to Gambia,” Hanks describes what it was like serving as a mentor for UW Ob-Gyn global health resident Awa Sanneh, MD, PGY-4, and acting as a guest lecturer in Banjul, Gambia. Many of her lectures focused on quality improvement projects regarding postpartum hemorrhage and C-section rates.
“Overall, this trip was filled with a lot of great experiences. In addition to my observation with Dr. Sanneh, we met many doctors in various surgical specialties while we were there. I am hopeful that these connections will be important for creating future partnerships.”
Read the whole blog post here.
**by Ob-Gyn Communications Intern Paige Stevenson
Congratulations to Camille Phillips, UW School of Medicine and Public Health medical student and mentee of Laura Hanks, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn! Phillips received the Excellence in Student Research award at the 22nd Annual Medical Student Research Forum on Nov 20, 2023.
Forty students were competitively selected to present their research with a podium talk in four concurrent sessions, with each session selecting a winner.
Camille presented “Sterilizations Rates of Pregnancy Capable People at a Single Institution in Wisconsin Before and After the Dobbs Decision”, co-authored by Jeanette Larson, MD, PGY-2, Amy Godecker, PhD, and Laura Hanks, MD. Camille did a fantastic job and her talk was scored highest in her session by faculty, students, and staff in attendance! She wins a $500 award and her achievement will be listed in the booklet of awards that MD Student Services prepares each spring.
Camille’s project was funded by the Shapiro Summer Research Program and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Incredible work, Camille!
Every summer, Shapiro Summer Research students collaborate with UW Department of Ob-Gyn faculty on research projects. On August 3, the 2023 Shapiro Summer Research students presented their projects during Ob-Gyn Grand Rounds.
Presenters, mentors, and projects were:
Camille Phillips, mentored by Laura Hanks, MD - “Sterilizations Rates of Pregnancy Capable People at a Single Institution in Wisconsin Before and After the Dobbs Decision”
Amy Tran, mentored by Jon Pennycuff, MD, MSPH - “Pelvic Floor Symptom Burden and Treatment Choices for Rural versus Urban Dwelling Women”
Lindsey Christianson, mentored by Laura Jacques, MD - “How is the Dobbs Decision Impacting Decision-Making and Perceived Training Options for Ob-Gyn Residency Applicants?”
Sami Stroebel, mentored by Laura Cooney, MD - “Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSD) & Time to Pregnancy”
Doua Chee Xiong, mentored by Laura Bozzuto, MD - “Optimizing Care for Patients with Granulomatous Mastitis”
Watch all the presentations here.
Huge congratulations to Camille Phillips, UW School of Medicine and Public Health medical student and mentee of Laura Hanks, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn! Phillips earned the Junior Fellow Prize Paper at the ACOG District VI Meeting in early October 2023.
Phillips presented the paper “Sterilizations Rates of Pregnancy Capable People at a Single Institution in Wisconsin Before and After the Dobbs Decision” at the meeting in Omaha, Nebraska. Jeanette Larson, MD, PGY-2, Amy Godecker, PhD, and Laura Hanks, MD, co-authored the paper, which shared data from a retrospective chart review:
“The June 2022 Dobbs vs. Jackson decision extremely restricted abortion care in Wisconsin, leading to uncertainty about how patients would respond to limitations on their reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy. Anecdotal data suggested that more patients were seeking permanent sterilization in direct response to the decision. Our presentation provides a summary of our retrospective chart review of all patients that received sterilizations at a single hospital in Wisconsin before and after the Dobbs decision. We will analyze what patient populations are receiving sterilizations post-Dobbs, and discuss what these trends mean for reproductive health care in an abortion-restricted state.”
Incredible work, Camille!
Sincere congratulations to Laura Hanks, MD, assistant professor in the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn! We are proud to share that Hanks passed her ABOG board exams.
Hanks joined our department faculty in May 2022. Incredible work, Dr. Hanks!
On a recent episode of the Women’s Healthcast, Laura Hanks, MD, assistant professor in the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn, discussed different ways surgery can be performed, with a focus on robotic-assisted surgery.
In the episode, Hanks talked about how robotic surgery works, what kinds of procedures in the ob-gyn world can and can’t be performed with this method, and how people can weigh the risks and benefits when deciding whether robotic-assisted surgery is right for them.
Listen to Robotic-Assisted Surgery now.
Did you know the Women’s Healthcast is available on all your favorite podcast platforms? Whether you like to listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean, or anywhere else, you can find us! (Just search Women’s Healthcast, and while you’re at it, may as well subscribe!)
Since the spring of 2022, ob-gyn clinics around the U.S. have reported an increase in questions about tubal ligation, also known as surgical sterilization or salpingectomy. On a recent episode of the Women’s Healthcast, Laura Hanks, MD, assistant professor in the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn, talked about why those requests are up, and answered questions about surgical sterilization: what happens during the procedure, why people might be interested in permanent birth control, and how she helps patients make sure sterilization is right for them.
Listen to Surgical Sterilization now.
Did you know the Women’s Healthcast is available on all your favorite podcast platforms? Whether you like to listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean, or anywhere else, you can find us! (Just search Women’s Healthcast, and while you’re at it, may as well subscribe!)
