Providing abortion within primary care expands access to essential health care. It increases the number of providers and clinics that offer the service and breaks down silos that separate abortion from other health care. Our team conducts studies to integrate abortion into primary care, with an emphasis on family medicine.
Abortion and Family Medicine Values
In 2019, we conducted in-depth interviews with 56 new career family physicians and family medicine thought leaders. We discussed the values of family medicine and participants’ experiences with abortion. We found that many family physicians are interested in providing abortion care but face barriers. These include federal restrictions on mifepristone, which is one of the drugs used for medication abortion. We also found that family physicians in the study believed abortion aligned with their specialty's values, regardless of whether they themselves provided abortion care.
Impact of Dobbs on Family Medicine Residency Programs
Since the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision ending the right to an abortion in the US, state abortion bans have impacted abortion training. We analyzed the impact of these bans on family medicine residency training. We found nearly 4,000 family medicine residents (29%) are training in states with abortion bans or very restrictive policies. Abortion bans impact trainees' ability to provide abortion and follow-up care. It also affects their ability to manage early pregnancy loss (also known as miscarriage) and care for patient and community needs.
FQHC Leaders Study
Offering abortion in Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) expands access to people with the greatest barriers to care. FQHCs can provide abortion care, but they must separate funds for abortion services from federal funds due to the Hyde Amendment. Given these barriers, it is critical for FQHC leaders to support the integration of abortion care in their clinics. We conducted a study to understand FQHC leaders’ knowledge, experience, and interest in integrating abortion and early pregnancy loss care into their clinics.