Essential Research on Abortion Care in Family Medicine

These core publications on abortion and contraception care in family medicine offer essential background knowledge for providers, educators, advocates.

 

Key Lessons Learned

  • Many patients prefer to access abortion care in a primary care setting (Summit 2016, Wu 2015, Godfrey 2010)
  • Abortion training can be successfully integrated into family medicine residency programs (Summit 2017, Brahmi 2007, Dehlendorf 2007, Bennett 2006, Leeman 2005)
  • Integrated training builds residents’ skills in abortion (Summit 2017, Goodman 2013, Paul 2007, Brahmi 2007) and leads to higher rates of abortion provision after residency (Patel 2020, Srinivasulu 2020, Block 2017, Goodman 2013)
  • More family doctors trained in abortion offered medication abortion after residency than aspiration abortion after residency (Srinivasulu 2020, Greenberg 2018, Greenberg 2012)
  • Abortion training also builds trainees’ other reproductive health skills, such as pregnancy options counseling, miscarriage management, and LARC services (Greenberg 2018, Stulberg 2018, Summit 2017, Kumar 2010)
  • Intention to provide abortion is predictive of provision after residency, but most of those who intend to provide abortion do not go on to do so (Srinivasulu 2020, Block 2017, Goodman 2013)
  • Many trained family physicians hope to provide abortion to their patients but face barriers to doing so (Summit 2020, Srinivasulu 2019, Stulberg 2018, Greenberg 2017, Block 2017, Goodman 2013, Greenberg 2012)

Essential Articles on Abortion Care in Family Medicine 

Wulf S, Vinekar K, Dehlendorf C, Srinivasulu S, Steinauer J, Carvajal DN. Implications of Overturning Roe v Wade on Abortion Training in US Family Medicine Residency Programs. Ann Fam Med. 2023;21(6):545-548. doi:10.1370/afm.3042

Summit AK, Carvajal DN. Abortion Provision among Family Physicians Underrepresented in Medicine. Fam Med. 2023 Apr 18. doi: 10.22454/FamMed.2023.913219. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37099390

Summit AK, Chong E, Gold M. Abortion Provision by Family Physicians After Integrated Opt-Out Training in Residency. Fam Med. 2023;55(5):317-324. DOI: 10.22454/FamMed.2023.526561

Summit, AK., Lague, I., Dettmann, M. and Gold, M. (2020), Barriers to and Enablers of Abortion Provision for Family Physicians Trained in Abortion During Residency. Perspect Sex Repro H, 52: 151-159. DOI: 10.1363/psrh.12154 

Patel P, Narayana S, Summit AK, Gold M, Morgan ZJ, Peterson LE, Paul A. Abortion Provision Among Recently Graduated Family Physicians. Fam Med. 2020 Nov;52(10):724-729. doi: 10.22454/FamMed.2020.300682. PMID: 33151532. DOI: 10.22454/FamMed.2020.300682

Srinivasulu S, Maldonado L, Prine L, Rubin SE. Intention to provide abortion upon completing family medicine residency and subsequent abortion provision: a 5-year follow-up survey. Contraception. 2019 Sep;100(3):188-192. doi: 10.1016/j.contraception.2019.05.011. Epub 2019 May 29. PMID: 31150603. DOI: 10.1016/j.contraception.2019.05.011

Greenberg S, Nothnagle M. An “Invaluable Skill”: Reflections on Abortion Training and Postresidency Practice. Fam Med. 2018 Oct;50(9):691-693. doi: 10.22454/FamMed.2018.529396. PMID: 30307587. DOI: 10.22454/FamMed.2018/529396  

Summit, AK, Gold, M. The Effects of Abortion Training on Family Medicine Residents’ Clinical Experience. Fam Med. 2017 Jan;49(1):22-27. PMID: 28166576

Stulberg DB et al., Provision of abortion and other reproductive health services among former Midwest Access Project trainees. Contraception, 2018, 97(4):341-345. PMID: 29337041. DOI: 10.1016/j.contraception.2018.01.002

Block A, Dehlendorf C, Biggs MA, McNeil S, Goodman S. Postgraduate Experiences With an Advanced Reproductive Health and Abortion Training and Leadership Program. Fam Med. 2017 Oct;49(9):706-713. PMID: 29045988 

Summit, AK, Casey, L, Bennett, A, Karasz, A, Gold, M. “‘I don’t want to go anywhere else’: Patient experiences of abortion in family medicine. Fam Med. 2016 Jan; 48(1):30-4. PMID: 26950663

Wu, JP, Godfrey, EM, Prine, L, Andersen, KL, MacNaughton, H, Gold, M. Women’s satisfaction with abortion care in academic family medicine centers. Fam Med. 2015 Feb; 47(2):98-106. PMID: 25646981

Goodman, S, Shih, G, Hawkins, M, Feierabend, S, Lossy, P, Waxman, NJ, Gold, M, Dehlendorf, C. A long-term evaluation of a required rotation with opt-out provisions for family medicine residents. Fam Med. 2013 Mar; 45(3):180-86. PMID: 23463431

Herbitter, C, Bennett, A, Schubert, FD, Bennett, I, Gold, M. Management of early pregnancy failure and induced abortion by family medicine educators. The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine. 2013 Nov-Dec; 26(6):751-58. PMID: 24204072. DOI: 10.3122/jabfm.2013.06.120248

Greenberg M, Herbitter C, Gawinski BA, Fletcher J, Gold M. Barriers and enablers to becoming abortion providers: the reproductive health program. Fam Med. 2012 Jul-Aug;44(7):493-500. PMID: 22791534

Godfrey, E.M., Rubin, S.E., Smith, E.J., Khare, M.M., Gold, M. Women’s preference for receiving abortion care in primary care settings. Journal of Women’s Health. 2010; 19(3):547-53. PMID: 20156084. DOI: 10.1089/jwh.2009.1454

Brahmi, D, Dehlendorf, C, Engel, D, Grumbach, K, Joffe, C, Gold, M. A descriptive analysis of abortion training in family medicine residency programs. Fam Med. 2007 Jun; 39(6):399-403. PMID: 17549648

Dehlendorf, C, Brahmi, D, Engel, D, Grumbach, K, Joffe, C, Gold, M. Integrating abortion training in family medicine residency programs. Fam Med. 2007 May; 39(5):337-42. PMID: 17476607

Paul, M, Nobel, K, Goodman, S, Lossy, P, Moschella, JE, Hammer, H. Abortion training in three family medicine programs: Resident and patient outcomes. Fam Med. 2007 Mar; 39(3):184-9. PMID: 17323209

Bennett, I, Aguirre, AC, Burg, J, Finkel, ML, Wolff, E, Bowman, K, et al. Initiating abortion training in residency programs: Issues and obstacles. Fam Med. 2006 May; 38(5):330-5. PMID: 16673194

Leeman, L, Espey, E. “You can’t do that ‘round here”: A case study of the introduction of medical abortion care at a university medical center. Contraception. 2005 Feb; 71(2):84-8. PMID: 15707555. DOI: 10.1016/j.contraception.2004.07.017

      Other RHEDI Publications

      Stein, T., Summit, A., St. Louis, A., Gold, M. Patient Satisfaction with IUD Services in a School-Based Health Center: A Pilot Study.  J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol. 2020 Aug; 33(4):388-392 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpag.2020.01.004

      Summit, A, Friedman, E, Stein, T, Gold, M. Integration of Onsite Long-Acting Reversible Contraception Services Into School-Based Health Centers.  J Sch Health. 2019 Mar; 89(3):226-231. PMID: 30637742. DOI: 10.1111/josh.12732

      Herbitter, C, Greenberg, M, Fletcher, J, Query, C, Dalby, J, Gold, M. Family planning training in U.S. family medicine residencies. Fam Med. Sep 2011; 43(8):574-81. PMID: 21918937

      Kumar, V, Herbitter, C, Karasz, A, Gold, M. Being in the room: Reflections on pregnancy options counseling during abortion training. Fam Med. 2010 Jan; 42(1):41-6. PMID: 20063222

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