Abortion providers in the United States: expanding beyond obstetrics and gynecology

Abstract

In the years preceding the Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization (2022) decision, there had been a shift in the demographics of abortion providers. Although most abortion providers were obstetricians-gynecologists, there had been a rapid increase in the number of internal medicine and family medicine physicians and advanced practice clinicians providing abortion care. As discourse about limiting abortion access has gained volume over the past few years, so have the number of legislative restrictions aimed at preventing people from seeking abortions. Among these are laws and policies targeted at reducing the number of providers and clinics providing abortion care, resulting in an absence of training, high case volume, and institutional restrictions. With the overturning of Roe v Wade, the landscape of abortion provision will continue to shift further. Action needs to be taken to expand the types of providers getting trained and providing abortions to ensure access for those seeking abortions.

Keywords

• abortion
• abortion restrictions
• advanced practice clinicians
• family planning
• medical education
• medical law