Abstract
PURPOSE The Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization (Dobbs) Supreme Court decision revoked the constitutional right to abortion. Now, restrictive state abortion laws may con- tribute to the shortage and strain already felt in primary care practice, especially related to the provision of reproductive health care. The purpose of this study is to evaluate perceived impacts of state abortion legislation on family medicine clinicians’ practice and medical edu- cation regarding reproductive health care.
METHODS Ten questions were added to the 2022 Council of Academic Family Medicine Educational Research Alliance general membership survey to evaluate impact on relevant themes in reproductive health care and training after the Dobbs decision. Responses were categorized by severity of restriction of state abortion policies.
RESULTS Of 1,196 respondents, 49.7% reported employment in states with very restrictive or restrictive abortion policies. The 991 respondents with clinical responsibilities reported significant (P <.05) changes in their counseling practices, clinical decision making, worry of legal risks, and trust in patients’ self-reported reproductive medical history, compared with peers in protective states. Perceived patient trust toward clinicians remained unchanged. Almost one-half of clinical respondents reported an absence of reproductive health care guidance or recommendations. Restrictive abortion policies significantly (P <.05) reduced the desirability and confidence in resident training programs.
CONCLUSIONS Reported changes to clinical activities and training, coming early after the Dobbs decision, affect our current and future workforce and therefore, our patients. Future studies are needed to document continued impact of state restrictions and inform policy to support family medicine clinicians in reproductive health practice and education.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
11-2024
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.3183
Funding Information
No financial disclosures were reported by the authors of this paper. The authors received no financial support for authorship of this article. Publication fees were provided by the Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Kentucky.
Repository Citation
Roper, Karen L.; Robbins, Sarah Jane; Day, Philip; Shih, Grace; and Kale, Neelima, "Impact of State Abortion Policies on Family Medicine Practice and Training After Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization" (2024). UK CARES Faculty Publications. 56.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/ukcares_facpub/56
Notes/Citation Information
© 2024 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.