Abortion Experienced by Childbearing Couples

Primary care providers are uniquely situated to provide abortion care and counsel women and families about their options regarding the termination of a pregnancy. They provide continuity of care throughout the life cycle, are well trained in counseling, and are situated in both urban and rural areas. The Guttmacher Institute estimates that approximately 48% of the 1.2 million unintended pregnancies in the United States end in abortion. Abortion is a common procedure with 45% of reproductive age women having at least one abortion in their lifetime, and 88% of women who obtain abortions are less than 13 weeks pregnant according to Rachel Jones and associates. Women often present to their primary care clinicians for pregnancy tests, and when faced with an unplanned pregnancy, they seek ...