Purpose: To determine factors that contribute to a resident’s
willingness to provide abortions post-residency.
Background: The shortage of abortion providers makes accessing
care difficult. Personal and environmentalfactors within the residency training
environment may be modified so that greater numbers ofgraduates opt to become
abortion providers.
Methods: A multiple-choice survey was sent to all ACGME
accredited OB/GYN residency programs. Data on demographics,religious and
political views, residency training experience and intent to provide abortions
was collected anonymously (n=396).
Results: Sixty-eight percent of residents intended to provide
abortions (n = 269). The sample was 89% female, underage 35 (97%), heterosexual
(91%). In a multivariable logistical regression, the following demographic
factors predicted intent to provide abortion; being female (aOR 2.8; 95% CI
1.2-6.5), identifying as non-Christian (aOR 3.6; 1.9-6.6), and being raised in
the Northeast (vs South) (aOR 3.0; 1.3-6.7) .Modifiable predictors of intention
to provide included programs where 50% of the faculty provided abortions (aOR
3.3;95% CI 1.8-5.8). Additionally, residents who performed greater than 20
cases (uOR 3.3, 95% CI 1.6-6.7) were three times more likely to plan
toprovide.Selection of a residency emphasizing family planning significantly
correlated with intent toprovide (aOR 4.3; 95% CI 2.4-7.8). Those training at
Ryan Programs were twice as likely (uOR2.4; 95% CI 1.6-3.8) to intend to
provide.
Discussions: Modifiable factors such as early exposure of medical students
to family planning, faculty selection, robust case volumes and establishment of
a Ryanprogram may enhance the number of graduates offering abortions while in
practice.
Topics: CREOG & APGO Annual Meeting, 2019, Resident, Faculty, Clerkship Director, Osteopathic Faculty, Residency Director, Patient Care, Systems-Based Practice & Improvement, GME, UME, Advocacy, Contraception or Family Planning,
Aliye Runyan,
MD, University
of Utah; Jessica Sanders, PhD
MSPH; Katherine Kramer, MD;
Maurice Recanati,
MD
