Does training family physicians to provide abortions expand the pool of providers?


Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

3215.0: Monday, December 12, 2005 - 1:15 PM

Abstract #116218

Does training family physicians to provide abortions expand the pool of providers?

Linda W. Prine, MD¹, Kamini Geer, MD², and Susan Rubin, MD². (1) Department of Family Medicine, Beth Israel Residency in Urban Family Practice, 16 E. 16th Street, New York, NY 10003, 212-366-9320, Lindaprine@earthlink.net, (2) Department of Family Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, 126 Fifth Avenue, Suite 805, New York, NY 10011

A new survey of graduated trainees from the Planned Parenthood of NYC Clinician Training Initiative (CTI) indicates increased numbers of family physicians providing abortions. This presentation will report on the outcomes of two training programs: one training doctors in medication abortion and one in early aspiration abortion (MVA), describing the impact on the numbers of abortion providers in primary care settings. It will show not only how many new physicians received training, but how many have gone on to actually provide abortions. Until now, other studies have not shown that the availability of mifepristone has markedly increased the numbers of abortion providers. This presentation will review the many issues that the two grant-funded programs addressed in order to facilitate family practice physicians becoming abortion providers. It will also demonstrate why this model of helping providers address obstacles to abortion implementation should be used in future efforts to address the shortage of abortion providers.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to

1. List the barriers that have prevented family physicians from providing abortions.
2. Describe the role that mifepristone medication abortion plays in expanding access to abortion in the family medicine setting.
3. Explain the need for support in overcoming obstacles to offering abortions by family physicians that go beyond training needs.

Keywords: Abortion, Access

Related Web page: www.theaccessproject.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation

Access to Safe Abortion Services in the U.S

The 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition (December 10-14, 2005) of APHA