Cameron group

Contraception, prevention and management of unintended pregnancy and genital tract infection

Professor Sharon Cameron

Consultant in Gynaecology and Sexual and Reproductive Health, NHS Lothian

  • MB ChB, MD, CCST (with sub specialisation in reproductive medicine) FRCOG, FFSRH
  • Editor-in-chief, BMJ Sexual Reproductive Health

Contact details

Research interests

Conducting and evaluating initiatives aimed at improving sexual and reproductive health within the UK and globally.

Contraception and emergency contraception; new methods, improved information and access, including after birth.

Management of unintended pregnancy and improving the patient journey.

Sexual and reproductive health service delivery and new models of care, including community pharmacy.

Key projects

Current research is aimed at empowering women in contraceptive choices, improving access to postnatal contraception and developing new contraceptives. We are the UK site for a trial of a new six-monthly contraceptive injection.

 Collaboration with national and international groups aimed at improving access to contraception through community pharmacies (ALLIANCE trial, Australia) and improving abortion care (SACHA study, UK, VEMA study Sweden, How far is too far, Canada). Also nationally with a trial to improve options for controlling troublesome bleeding with contraceptive implant (DEBI trial, Nottingham).

Professor Sharon Cameron is lead researcher for the Contraception and abortion inter-disciplinary research network group (CAIRN). Based at the Lothian Sexual Health Chalmers Centre, the group is currently researching a variety of different projects in the field of sexual health.

CAIRN research group page (Lothian Sexual Health website)

Group members

Michelle Cooper, Honorary Senior Lecturer and NRS Career Research Fellow

John Reynolds Wright, NES/CSO Clinical Lecturer

Karen McCabe, Research Midwife

Jacqueline Quinn, PhD Student

CAIRN group members

Dr Michelle Cooper, Honorary Senior Lecturer and NRS Career Research Fellow

Dr John Reynolds Wright, NES/CSO clinical lecturer

Ms Karen McCabe, Clinical Research Nurse/Midwife

Dr Nicola Boydell

Professor Jeni Harden (Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh)

Dr Chelsea Morroni (Principal Investigator, IRR, University of Edinburgh)

Dr Elisabeth Wastnedge (Clinical Research Fellow, IRR, University of Edinburgh)

Dr Jacqueline Quinn

Professor Anna Glasier, Women's Health Champion

Ms Kirsten Kernaghan (NHS lothian and University of Glasgow)

Ms Maria Larsson (Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh)

Eric Chen (Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh)

Claire Nicol, Nurse Practioner (NHS Lothian)

Collaborators

Dr Nicola Boydell, Prof Jeni Harden (Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh)

Prof Caroline Free, Prof Kaye Wellings, 

Dr Rebecca French, London School of Hygiene and Tropical medicine, UK

Prof Kristina Gemzell-Danielsson, Karolinksa Institutet, Sweden

Prof Danielle Mazza, Monash University, Australia

Prof Paul Blumenthal, Stanford university, USA

Prof Wendy Norman, University of British Columbia, Canada

Dr Raymond Li, University of Hong Kong

Selected recent publications

Cameron ST, Glasier A, McDaid L et al. Use of effective contraception following provision of the progestogen-only pill for women presenting to community pharmacies for emergency contraception (Bridge-It): a pragmatic cluster-randomised crossover trial. Lancet. 2020 Nov 14;396(10262):1585-1594. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)31785-2.

Cameron ST, Glasier A, McDaid L, Radley A, Patterson S, Baraitser P, Stephenson J, Gilson R, Battison C, Cowle K, Vadiveloo T, Johnstone A, Morelli A, Goulao B, Forrest M, McDonald A, Norrie J. Provision of the progestogen-only pill by community pharmacies as bridging contraception for women receiving emergency contraception: the Bridge-it RCT. Health Technol Assess. 2021 May;25(27):1-92. doi: 10.3310/hta25270. PMID: 33949940; PMCID: PMC8126983.

Edelman A, Boniface ER, Male V, Cameron S, Benhar E, Han L, Matteson KA, van Lamsweerde A, Pearson JT, Darney BG. Timing of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Vaccination and Effects on Menstrual Cycle Changes. Obstet Gynecol. 2024 Apr 1;143(4):585-594. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000005550.

Glasier A, Cameron ST. Improving access to sexual and reproductive health care. Lancet Public Health. 2022 Jan;7(1):e4-e5. doi: 10.1016/S2468-2667(21)00283-8. PMID: 34995542.

Boydell N, Cooper M, Cameron ST, Glasier A, Coutts S, McGuire F, Harden J. Perspectives of obstetricians and midwives on the provision of immediate postpartum intrauterine devices: a qualitative service evaluation. BMJ Sex Reprod Health. 2021 Jun 29:bmjsrh-2021-201170. doi: 10.1136/bmjsrh-2021-201170. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34187901.

Mazza D, Assifi AR, Hussainy SY, Bateson D, Johnston S, Tomnay J, Kasza J, Church J, Grzeskowiak LE, Nissen L, Cameron ST. Expanding community pharmacists' scope of practice in relation to contraceptive counselling and referral: a protocol for a pragmatic, stepped-wedge, cluster randomised trial (ALLIANCE). BMJ Open. 2023 Aug 31;13(8):e073154. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-073154. PMID: 37652588; PMCID: PMC10476139.

Cooper M, Robinson H, Hughes L, McCabe K, Simpson J, Coia J, Cameron S. Using a meaningful engagement process to develop an accessible postpartum contraception animation. BMJ SRH 2024 doi: 10.1136/bmjsrh-2023-202050

Reynolds-Wright JJ, Johnstone A, McCabe K, Evans E, Cameron S. Adherence to treatment and prevalence of side effects when medical abortion is delivered via telemedicine: a prospective observational cohort study during COVID-19. BMJ Sex Reprod Health. 2021 Oct 28:bmjsrh-2021-201263. doi: 10.1136/bmjsrh-2021-201263. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34711647; PMCID: PMC8593268.

Reynolds‐Wright JJ, Woldetsadik MA, Morroni  C, Cameron  S. Pain management for medical abortion before 14 weeks’ gestation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2022 Issue 5. Art. No.: CD013525. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD013525.pub2.

Cameron ST, Li H R, Gemzell –Danielsson K . Is Contragestion the future. BMJ SRH 2022 http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjsrh-2022-201758

Links

BRIDGE-IT: A randomised controlled trial to determine the effectiveness of bridging from emergency to regular contraception

The SACHA Study: Creating an evidence base to guide new directions in abortion care in the UK

Funders

Chief Scientist Office

Edinburgh Family Planning Trust

FHI 360.

National Institute for Health Research ( NIHR)

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