Dr. Gipson’s work focuses on reproductive health, mostly in lower-income settings. Her research incorporates both qualitative and quantitative research methods to investigate reproductive health and reproductive decision-making among women and couples. Broad research interests include: understanding the formation, negotiation, and realization of individual and couple-level fertility preferences; gaining a more holistic understanding of ‘unintended pregnancy’, as well as the disconnect between reproductive preferences and behavior and potential social and health repercussions; capturing the influence of gender, gender norms, and socio-cultural context on couple communication, reproductive decision-making and reproductive outcomes. Jessica D. Gipson earned her Ph.D. in public health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, her M.P.H. at the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, and her bachelor’s degree in Anthropology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Dr. Gipson is now an Assistant Professor with the Department of Community Health Sciences at the UCLA School of Public Health.

1.  Gipson, Jessica D.; Gultiano, Socorro A.; Avila, Josephine L.; Hindin, Michelle J. “Old ideals and new realities: the changing context of young people’s partnerships in Cebu, Philippines.” Culture, Health & Sexuality (2012); 14(6): 613-627.

2.  Gipson, Jessica D., Becker, Davida, Mishtal, Joanna Z., and Norris, Alison H. Conducting Collaborative Abortion Research In International Settings . Women’s Health Issues 2011; 21 (3, Suppl 1): S58-S62.

3.  Gipson, Jessica D., Hossain, Mian B., and Koenig, Michael A. Measurement, levels, and trends of unintended birth in Bangladesh, 1983-2000. Journal of Health, Population, and Nutrition. 2011; 29(4): 400-405.