Pathways to Abortion Services in South Carolina: Identifying patient-centered perspectives to inform evaluation of Provide, Inc.'s Referrals for Unintended Pregnancy Training Program

Background: State-level restrictions are increasingly imposed on abortion services in the United States, negatively impacting women’s access to a full range of reproductive health care. Restrictions can include mandatory counseling and waiting periods, constraints on insurance coverage, and policies hostile to abortion providers. These conditions may cause disruptions in obtaining care, increase the risk of being turned away due to gestational limits, and increase financial burdens on women seeking care. 

Objectives: We aim to examine how women in South Carolina currently access abortion services and whether referrals and other measures could increase ease of access. Provide, Inc. is conducting Referrals for Unintended Pregnancy Training in several low-access states to improve primary care and social service provider capacity to offer options counseling and abortion referrals. We will present findings from formative work that will inform a patient-centered evaluation of these trainings in South Carolina.

Methods: We will conduct 45 in-depth qualitative interviews with South Carolinian women who have successfully obtained abortion services.  Utilizing a health services utilization model, and probing for different types of support, we will map women’s typical pathways to abortion care, identifying facilitators, barriers, and areas for improvements.

Results: Thematic analyses of interview data will be presented. Analyses will be used to produce detailed process maps, to make recommendations on improving the model and materials for provider training on abortion referrals in low-access settings, and to inform the development of a quantitative survey evaluation tool for assessing the strengths and needs of provider trainings.