A new study published in Contraception found that less than half of clinicians felt confident helping adolescents navigate the logistics of getting abortion care.
Even before the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion in Dobbs, young people faced unique hurdles to abortion care, including burdensome parental involvement laws. With abortion restrictions increasing in the 3 years since the decision, barriers—including cost, travel, and lack of confidentiality—have only intensified.
“Adolescents rely on us to help them navigate the many hoops they have to jump through to get an abortion,” said Amanda Bryson, MD, a pediatrician and lead author of the study. “We found that most clinicians do not feel up to this challenge, especially in states with new post-Dobbs abortion restrictions.”
Research shows that young people seek information about accessing abortion from clinicians, and fewer than 30% of adolescents aged 15-17 feel confident finding a trusted healthcare provider for abortion services.
This newly published study showed a concerning lack of preparedness to meet that need—many clinicians did not feel comfortable navigating common logistics like gestational limits, available telehealth, parental involvement requirements, judicial bypass, cost, and appointment logistics.
Clinicians in restrictive states demonstrated lower confidence in their abilities to help adolescents find an abortion provider and determine appointment logistics compared to providers in states without restrictions. Twenty percent of clinicians in states without restrictions didn’t feel confident interpreting their states’ abortion laws, perhaps due to confusion in a rapidly changing landscape.
“We need to find ways to prepare healthcare providers to be there for their young patients who need abortion care,” said Dr. Bryson. “It’s our responsibility to step up during this crisis, and we must do everything in our power to support adolescents' autonomy in making their own reproductive health decisions.”