Abstract
The objective of this study was to describe the availability of early surgical and
medical abortion among members of the National Abortion Federation (NAF) and to identify
factors affecting the integration of early abortion services into current services.
Telephone interviews were conducted with staff at 113 Planned Parenthood affiliates
and independent abortion providers between February and April 2000, prior to FDA approval
of mifepristone. Early abortion services were available at 59% of sites, and establishing
services was less difficult than or about what was anticipated. Sites generally found
it easier to begin offering early surgical abortion than early medical abortion. Physician
participation was found to be critical to implementing early services. At sites where
some but not all providers offered early abortion, variations in service availability
resulted. Given the option of reconsidering early services, virtually all sites would
make the same decision again. These data suggest that developing mentoring relationships
between experienced early abortion providers/sites and those not offering early services,
and training physicians and other staff, are likely to be effective approaches to
expanding service availability.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
November 5,
2002
Received in revised form:
September 13,
2002
Received:
April 8,
2002
Identification
Copyright
© 2003 Elsevier Science Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
