160878 Incidence of medication abortion in the United States

Wednesday, November 7, 2007: 3:30 PM

Lawrence B. Finer, PhD , Research Division, Guttmacher Institute, New York, NY
The FDA's approval of mifepristone for medication abortion in 2000 raised the possibility that this method might increase the availability of abortion in regions with no surgical providers. However, no systematic analysis has examined whether this has in fact happened. We will analyze newly available and comprehensive data on the provision of medical abortion in the United States since 2001 and attempt to answer the following questions: Has mifepristone increased the overall likelihood that general practitioners/family practice doctors will provide abortion? Is mifepristone availability greater in states where Medicaid does not cover abortion services? Has mifepristone increased access to abortion in disadvantaged areas? Is there a significant mifepristone presence in states that are working to ban abortion or restrict access? Findings will be presented in the context of overall abortion incidence (including both surgical and medication abortion) and trends in the number of abortion providers in the United States.

Learning Objectives:
1. Recognize the incidence of medication abortion in the United States. 2. Assess the impact of mifepristone on the geographic availability of abortion.

Keywords: Abortion, Reproductive Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Abortion: Incidence and Access in the US
See more of: Population, Family Planning, and Reproductive Health