Leveraging family medicine values to support medication abortion

In 2019, we conducted in-depth interviews with 56 new career family physicians and thought leaders on the values of family medicine and participants’ experiences with abortion.

We found many family physicians are interested in providing abortion care but face numerous barriers, including federal restrictions on mifepristone, one of the medications used for medication abortion. We also found family physicians in the study overwhelmingly believed that abortion aligned with family medicine values, regardless of whether they themselves provided abortion care. 

From the interviews, we developed communications messaging recommendations and materials to support and motivate family physicians to provide medication abortion. We conducted cognitive interviews with family physicians and patients to test and refine materials. 

This study was funded by Society of Family Planning and conducted in partnership with the Reproductive Health Access Project, California Association of Family Physicians, TEACH, and Aggregate, a communications firm.