Physician beliefs about abortion safety and their participation in abortion care

Laura E T Swan; Abigail S Cutler; Madison Lands; Nicholas B Schmuhl; Jenny A Higgins

doi:10.1016/j.srhc.2023.100916

Physician beliefs about abortion safety and their participation in abortion care

Sex Reprod Healthc. 2023 Dec:38:100916. doi: 10.1016/j.srhc.2023.100916. Epub 2023 Sep 12.

Authors

Laura E T Swan¹, Abigail S Cutler², Madison Lands², Nicholas B Schmuhl³, Jenny A Higgins²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States; Collaborative for Reproductive Equity (CORE), University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States. Electronic address: lswan2@wisc.edu.
² Collaborative for Reproductive Equity (CORE), University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States.
³ Population Health Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States.

PMID: 37722252
DOI: 10.1016/j.srhc.2023.100916

Abstract

Objective: To document physicians' beliefs about abortion safety and the associations between these beliefs and physician support for, referral for, and participation in abortion care.

Methods: In a 2019 survey at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, we assessed physicians' abortion attitudes, beliefs, and practices (N = 893). We conducted bivariate analyses followed by logistic regression to document relationships between physician beliefs about abortion safety and their support for, referral to, and participation in abortion care.

Results: Four-in-five physicians (78%, n = 690) believed that abortion is very or extremely safe. Medical specialty (Obstetrics-Gynecology vs. other; adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 10.58, 95% CI: 1.41-79.56), educational exposure to abortion (aOR = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.02-2.01), and religiosity (aOR = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.41-0.85) were associated with physicians' beliefs about the safety of abortion. Providers who believed that abortion was very/extremely safe were more likely to support medication (aOR = 2.99, 95% CI: 1.93-4.65) and procedural abortion (aOR = 3.56, 95% CI: 2.31-5.50) and refer patients for abortion care (aOR = 3.14, 95% CI: 1.90-5.01).

Conclusion: Although abortions are associated with extremely few adverse events, a sizable portion of surveyed physicians had incorrect perceptions of the safety of abortion. These beliefs were associated with decreased support and referrals for abortion care. Educational exposure to abortion is associated with more accurate assessments of abortion safety, underscoring the importance of training in this area. Considering the current abortion policy landscape, it is imperative for physicians to hold accurate knowledge about abortion so they can provide comprehensive counseling and, when indicated, referrals for safe and legal care.

Keywords: Abortion; Family planning; Medical education; Medical specialty; Medical training; Provider beliefs; Reproductive healthcare.

MeSH terms

Abortion, Induced*
Attitude of Health Personnel
Female
Humans
Physicians*
Pregnancy
Referral and Consultation
Surveys and Questionnaires