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American Public Health Association
133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition
December 10-14, 2005
Philadelphia, PA
APHA 2005
 
4278.0: Tuesday, December 13, 2005 - Board 2

Abstract #116427

Medication abortion outcomes in three family practice settings: Expanding access

Linda W. Prine, MD, Andrea Tinio, MD, and Yolanda Tun-Chiong, MD. 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

When mifepristone first received FDA approval, expectations were high that abortion access would be greatly expanded for American women. Unfortunately, for many reasons, primary care physicians did not readily embrace this new option for caring for women. One concern on the part of practitioners was that the complications would be difficult to handle in the primary care setting. This paper will present the data from three family practices, with more than 600 medication abortions performed. It will detail all of the “complications” and failed abortions, which constituted less than 3% of the cases. None of the patients required emergency transfer, blood transfusion or an emergency intervention at all. The only patients who visited the emergency room were patients who self-referred, rather than calling their providers first as instructed. In conclusion, medication abortion is clinically very amenable to a primary care, family medicine setting.

Learning Objectives:

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

    Keywords: Abortion, Access

    Related Web page: www.accessproject.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.

    Abortion: U.S. and International Perspectives

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