Expanding Access: The impact of clinical training on the intention to provide abortion care

Family physicians provide the bulk of primary care in the United States. Integrating abortion into family medicine could greatly expand access to abortion care, especially in underserved communities where family physicians are more likely than other medical specialties to work.

Only 6.5% of the 436 family medicine residency programs in the United States offer abortion training. Residents attending all other family medicine residency programs interested in abortion training must seek training during their elective time.

This study analyzes data from a multi-year survey of third year family medicine residents graduating primarily from family medicine residency programs offering abortion training. Residents were asked to report: • whether they received training in a range of reproductive health services, including abortion, • their intention to provide these services in their post-residency practice, and • where and in what capacity they would be practicing medicine post-residency.

This presentation will report on factors associated with residents' intention to provide abortion care, on where residents intended to practice medicine and provide abortions, the residency training factors associated with planning to provide abortion care, the barriers to abortion provision perceived by those who do not intend to provide abortions, and the current policy environment around abortion care. In addition, by mapping trained residents future practice sites, we assess the impact training family physicians has on expanding access to abortion care. The presentation will also suggest some recommendations on improving the uptake and utility of family medicine residency abortion training.