Clinical Responses to the “Partial Birth” Abortion Ban- Massachusetts Pilot

One potential barrier for women's access to abortion is the “Partial Birth” Abortion Ban enacted by Congress in 2006 and upheld by the Supreme Court in 2007. The ban on so-called “partial birth” abortion appears to target a method of abortion called intact dilation and extraction. Few providers were performing intact dilation and extraction prior to the ban, yet preliminary research conducted by Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH) suggests that the ban will lead to changes in abortion practice nonetheless. Post-ban changes may include:

a. An increased use of fetocidal agents such as digoxin and sodium choloride.

b. A decrease in the amount of cervical dilation used during later second-trimester abortions

c. Changes in consent procedures

d. Increased procedure times

e. Increased procedure costs

f. Decrease in the number of providers performing later second-trimester abortions

g. Decreased training in second-trimester procedures during medical school and residency training.

These claims remain untested. ANSIRH has developed a survey instrument to explore the impact of the federal ban on the practice of abortion. The pilot test population is a group of physicians and administrators who provide second-trimester abortion services in Massachusetts. In our proposed presentation we will provide a background on the provision of second-trimester abortion before the “partial-birth abortion ban,” present the findings from our pilot survey, consider the utility of conducting a nation-wide study on post-ban changes to clinical practice, and develop hypotheses on the impact that clinical changes may have on public health.