About

Jason Potter is a Lecturer at the University of Colorado Boulder, where he specializes in the history of philosophy, focusing on both ancient and modern periods. His teaching emphasizes the development and evolution of philosophical ideas across different eras. His research interests include contemporary, 20th-century, and early modern epistemology, as well as philosophy of mind, aesthetics, and philosophy of language. Through his work, he contributes to the understanding of these areas within the broader context of philosophical inquiry, engaging with both historical and contemporary perspectives.

Research topics

• Political Science
• Sociology
• Medicine
• Family medicine
• Demography
• Environmental health
• Social psychology
• Geography
• Gynecology
• Law
• Obstetrics
• Psychology

Selected publications

• Corrigendum to “Bereaved family members’ perspectives of their organ donation decision at three months post death of the donor-eligible patient in critical care: A qualitative enquiry” [Aust. Crit. Care 38 (2025) 101132]

  Australian Critical Care · 2025-05-11

  erratumOpen access1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Meeting Contraceptive Preferences Among Low‐Income Postpartum Texans: A Counterfactual Analysis of Pregnancy Trajectories

  Studies in Family Planning · 2025-06-20

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Many people at risk of an undesired pregnancy are not using their preferred contraceptive method. On its own, discordant use is an important indicator of reproductive autonomy. It may also affect reproductive outcomes, although little research has explored the consequences of unsatisfied contraceptive preferences. Using prospective data for the two years following delivery for a cohort of low-income postpartum women in Texas, many of whom would have preferred to be using a more effective method than the one they were using, we ask: How would the pregnancy trajectories of those not using their preferred contraceptive have differed had they been able to access their preferred method? Taking an inverse probability of treatment weighting approach, we show that using a preferred method was associated with half the likelihood of conceiving a pregnancy likely to result in a birth within 21 months postpartum (adjusted hazard ratio 0.43; 95 percent confidence interval 0.32, 0.57). Our findings highlight the consequences of failing to provide people with their preferred method and reveal how, in a context where people face substantial barriers to reproductive healthcare, discordant use increases the risk that people will have a baby that they did not desire at that time or, in some cases, ever.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Assessing the Variability in Direct Shear Testing Interpretation for Sets of Natural Fractures

  2024-06-23 · 1 citations

  article

  ABSTRACT: A direct shear test is a standard geotechnical laboratory test used to estimate the shear strength of rock fractures. This paper builds on previous work conducted by the authors to assess the extent of variation in shear strength parameters resulting from different approaches to interpreting direct shear test data. This interpretation involves selecting shear stresses from a shear stress versus shear displacement plot and utilizing them in the Mohr-Coulomb constitutive model to calculate friction angle and cohesion. The authors navigate through a series of direct shear results on fractures in the same rock type. Furthermore, a Python script was developed to automate the interpretation process, offering analysts an alternative tool. A variation up to 22.9 degrees in friction angle was observed and the effects of area and dilation corrections were analyzed. 1. INTRODUCTION Direct shear tests (DST) are geotechnical tests designed to assess the shear strength and deformation properties of soils and rock discontinuities (MacDonald et. al. 2023). This test can be conducted either in a controlled laboratory setting using core specimens or in the field under in-situ conditions (Sanei et al. 2015). A DST involves placing a core sample containing a plane of interest, referred to as a ‘discontinuity,’ onto a shear holder. The top part is displaced in relation to the bottom by applying a force parallel to the discontinuity (shear force) while maintaining a constant force perpendicular to the discontinuity (normal force). The resulting shear forces and corresponding shear displacements are measured and recorded. These forces are converted to stresses by dividing by the surface contact area, resulting in a shear stress vs. shear displacement trace (ASTM 2016). The test is generally performed three to five times on the same or similar samples with increasing applied normal loads. Figure 1 shows direct shear traces of a quartz monzonite fracture. The resulting data allows the interpreter to determine normal and shear stiffness, peak and residual shear strengths, and dilation angles (MacDonald et al. 2023).

  PublisherDOI

• Abortion patients' decision making about where to obtain out‐of‐state care following Texas' 2021 abortion ban

  Health Services Research · 2023-09-12 · 22 citations

  articleOpen access

  OBJECTIVE: To assess pregnant Texans' decisions about where to obtain out-of-state abortion care following the September 2021 implementation of Senate Bill 8 (SB8), which prohibited abortions after detectable embryonic cardiac activity. DATA SOURCE: In-depth telephone interviews with Texas residents ≥15 years of age who obtained out-of-state abortion care after SB8's implementation. STUDY DESIGN: This qualitative study explored participants' experiences identifying and contacting abortion facilities and their concerns and considerations about traveling out of state. We used inductive and deductive codes in our thematic analysis describing people's decisions about where to obtain care and how they evaluated available options. DATA COLLECTION: Texas residents self-referred to the study from flyers we provided to abortion facilities in Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. We also enrolled participants from a concurrent online survey of Texans seeking abortion care. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Participants (n = 65) frequently obtained referral lists for out-of-state locations from health-care providers, and a few received referrals to specific facilities; however, referrals rarely included the information people needed to decide where to obtain care. More than half of the participants prioritized getting the soonest appointment and often contacted multiple locations and traveled further to do so; others who could not travel further typically waited longer for an appointment. Although the participants rarely cited state abortion restrictions or cost of care as their main reason for choosing a location, they often made sacrifices to lessen the logistical and economic hardships that state restrictions and out-of-state travel costs created. Informative abortion facility websites and compassionate scheduling staff solidified some participants' facility choice. CONCLUSIONS: Pregnant Texans made difficult trade-offs and experienced travel-related burdens to obtain out-of-state abortion care. As abortion bans prohibit more people from obtaining in-state care, efforts to strengthen patient navigation are needed to reduce care-seeking burdens as this will support people's reproductive autonomy.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Meeting Preferences for Specific Contraceptive Methods: An Overdue Indicator

  Studies in Family Planning · 2023-01-27 · 42 citations

  reviewOpen accessSenior author

  Fertility surveys have rarely asked people who are using contraception about the contraceptive method they would like to be using, implicitly assuming that those who are contracepting are using the method they want. In this commentary, we review evidence from a small but growing body of work that oftentimes indicates this assumption is untrue. Discordant contraceptive preferences and use are relatively common, and unsatisfied preferences are associated with higher rates of method discontinuation and subsequent pregnancy. We argue that there is opportunity to center autonomy and illuminate the need for and quality of services by building on this research and investing in the development of survey items that assess which method people would like to use, as well as their reasons for nonpreferred use. The widespread adoption of questions regarding method preferences could bring indicators of reproductive health services into closer alignment with the needs of the people they serve.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Association of Texas’ 2021 Ban on Abortion in Early Pregnancy With the Number of Facility-based Abortions in Texas and Surrounding States

  Obstetric Anesthesia Digest · 2023-08-23

  article

  ( JAMA . 2022;328:2048–2055) In 2021, the state of Texas implemented a strict abortion law (SB 8) that banned abortion after the detection of fetal cardiac activity. Previously, abortions could be performed in the state of Texas up to 22 weeks of gestation. In June 2022, the US Supreme Court overturned its decision on Roe v Wade , making it possible to enforce the new legislation banning nearly all abortions. Primary outcomes for this study included the change in the number of facility-based, out-of-state, and total documented abortions for Texas residents after the implementation of SB 8. The secondary outcome was the change in the percentage of out-of-state abortions for Texas residents that were provided at or after 12 weeks of gestation.

  PublisherDOI

• Quantifying the Variability in Interpretation of Shear Testing of a Natural Fracture

  2023-06-25

  article

  ABSTRACT The shear strength of discontinuities (e.g., joints, bedding planes, faults) plays an important role in the mechanical behavior of a rock mass and is crucial to the analysis and design of rock slopes. The shear strength of natural discontinuities is typically determined by performing a series of direct shear tests. Several sources of variability in direct shear test results are recognized by the geotechnical community (e.g., the inherent variability of shear strength in a rock mass, joint roughness), but the effect of variations in testing equipment, testing methods, and in the interpretation and application of test results has been little studied. The focus of this paper is the potential variance introduced by the interpretation of direct shear test results. The authors explore potential variation in a single direct shear test by examining test results from a natural joint with four different approaches. Potential future research paths are also discussed. BACKGROUND The direct shear test (DST) is widely used to determine the shear strength of natural discontinuities in rock and soil. This determination is of particular importance when designing rock-based engineering structures and assessing failures. Direct shear tests are performed using a shear box apparatus that maintains a constant force normal to the discontinuity while applying an increasing shear force parallel to the discontinuity (ASTM, 2016). The information recorded includes the applied normal force, displacement of the top of the specimen in relation to the bottom, the shear force applied to achieve that displacement, and fracture roughness. The test is generally performed three to four times with increasing applied normal loads, resulting in a set of traces corresponding to the applied normal forces. Figure 1 illustrates an idealized trace resulting from a direct shear test. Recorded forces are then converted to stresses by dividing by the surface contact area measured at the time of the test. Two parameters are calculated based on the trace data described above (ASTM, 2016): • Peak shear strength is associated with the maximum shear stress value along a sheared surface attained during a test. • Residual shear strength is associated with the point at which the shear stress remains essentially constant with increasing shear displacement.

  PublisherDOI

• Association of Texas’ 2021 Ban on Abortion in Early Pregnancy With the Number of Facility-Based Abortions in Texas and Surrounding States

  JAMA · 2022-11-01 · 45 citations

  letterOpen access

  Importance: Texas' 2021 ban on abortion in early pregnancy may demonstrate how patterns of abortion might change following the US Supreme Court's June 2022 decision overturning Roe v Wade. Objective: To assess changes in the number of abortions and changes in the percentage of out-of-state abortions among Texas residents performed at 12 or more weeks of gestation in the first 6 months following implementation of Texas Senate Bill 8 (SB 8), which prohibited abortions after detection of embryonic cardiac activity. Design, Setting, and Participants: Retrospective study of a sample of 50 Texas and out-of-state abortion facilities using an interrupted time series analysis to assess changes in the number of abortions, and Poisson regression to assess changes in abortions at 12 or more weeks of gestation. Data included 68 820 Texas facility-based abortions and 11 287 out-of-state abortions among Texas residents during the study period from September 1, 2020, to February 28, 2022. Exposures: Abortion care obtained after (September 2021-February 2022) vs before (September 2020-August 2021) implementation of SB 8. Main Outcomes and Measures: Primary outcomes were changes in the number of facility-based abortions for Texas residents, in Texas and out of state, in the month after implementation of SB 8 compared with the month before. The secondary outcome was the change in the percentage of out-of-state abortions among Texas residents obtained at 12 or more weeks of gestation during the 6-month period after the law's implementation. Results: Between September 2020 and August 2021, there were 55 018 abortions in Texas and 2547 out-of-state abortions among Texas residents. During the 6 months after SB 8, there were 13 802 abortions in Texas and 8740 out-of-state abortions among Texas residents. Compared with the month before implementation of SB 8, the number of Texas facility-based abortions significantly decreased from 5451 to 2169 (difference, -3282 [95% CI, -3171 to -3396]; incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.43 [95% CI, 0.36-0.51]) in the month after SB 8 was implemented. The number of out-of-state abortions among Texas residents significantly increased from 222 to 1332 (difference, 1110 [95% CI, 1047-1177]; IRR, 5.38 [95% CI, 4.19-6.91]). Overall, the total documented number of Texas facility-based and out-of-state abortions among Texas residents significantly decreased from 5673 to 3501 (absolute change, -2172 [95% CI, -2083 to -2265]; IRR, 0.67 [95% CI, 0.56-0.79]) in the first month after SB 8 was implemented compared with the previous month. Out-of-state abortions among Texas residents obtained at 12 or more weeks of gestation increased from 17.1% (221/1291) to 31.0% (399/1289) (difference, 178 [95% CI, 153-206]) during the period between September 2021 and February 2022 (P < .001 for trend). Conclusions and Relevance: Among a sample of abortion facilities, the 2021 Texas law banning abortion in early pregnancy (SB 8) was significantly associated with a decrease in the documented total of facility-based abortions in Texas and obtained by Texas residents in surrounding states in the first month after implementation compared with the previous month. Over the 6 months following SB 8 implementation, the percentage of out-of-state abortions among Texas residents obtained at 12 or more weeks of gestation significantly increased.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Impact of Clinic Closures on Women Obtaining Abortion Services After Implementation of a Restrictive Law in Texas

  American Journal of Public Health · 2022 · 18 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding
  • Political Science
  • Medicine
  • Law

  Impact of Clinic Closures on Women Obtaining Abortion Services After Implementation of a Restrictive Law in Texas C. GerdtsPhD, MHS, L. FuentesMPH, D. GrossmanMD, K. WhitePhD, MPH, B. Keefe-OatesMPH, S. E. BaumMPH, K. HopkinsPhD, C. W. StolpPhD, and J. E. PotterPhD CopyRight https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2016.303134r Published Online: August 15, 2022

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Satisfaction, Resignation, and Dissatisfaction with Long-Acting Reversible Contraception among Low-Income Postpartum Texans

  Women s Health Issues · 2022-04-19 · 18 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant R01HD047816

  NIH · $2.3M · 2012

• NIH Grant R01HD033761

  NIH · $672k · 2002

• NIH Grant R01HD041528

  NIH · $758k · 2007

• Training Program in Population Studies

  NIH · $7.5M · 1977–2029

Frequent coauthors

• Kristine Hopkins

  The University of Texas at Austin

  119 shared

• Daniel Grossman

  University of Alabama at Birmingham

  106 shared

• Kari White

  97 shared

• Amanda Jean Stevenson

  University of Colorado Boulder

  49 shared

• Ernesto F. L. Amaral

  46 shared

• James Trussell

  42 shared

• Nikki B. Zite

  University of Tennessee at Knoxville

  40 shared

• Sonya Borrero

  University of Pittsburgh

  40 shared

Education

• Ph.D., History of early modern philosophy, Kant, Aesthetics, History of Ancient Philosophy, Early Analytic Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion, American Pragmatism

  Colorado

  2000