Oral

Over time many studies have found that 10% of abortions performed in the US occur in the second trimester. This session will explore how clinics and providers in diverse settings are working to secure access to safe 2nd trimester abortions. The panel will open with a comprehensive review of the scientific literature on second-trimester abortion, followed by a description of a strategic initiative to secure access to second trimester abortion through involvement of the public health community. The second panelist will share the experiences of women seeking a second trimester procedure - their reasons for delay, the distance they travel to find a provider and other barriers they face in seeking care. One potential barrier for access to abortion is the “Partial Birth” Abortion Ban enacted by Congress in 2006 and upheld by the Supreme Court in 2007. The presentation will explain this ban and elucidate its potential impacts on abortion care. Research has shown that second trimester abortion providers are geographically clustered in the US. The next presentation will discuss this issue and share the findings of research designed to explore the applicability of rational distribution models to second trimester abortion services. The session will close with a presentation of data on the characteristics of women who obtain second-trimester abortions and the barriers they face accessing services.

Session Objectives: 1) Articulate the evidenced-based options that are available for securing access to second-trimester abortion 2) Explain the methodological difficulties in studying mental health and other outcomes following an elective abortion 3) Explore the impacts that changes to clinical practice may have on health care quality and on women’s access to reproductive health services 4) Describe different models of rational distribution 5) Identify service barriers to second-trimester abortion provision