RESUMEN
Abortion is highly stigmatized in most settings and severely underreported in demographic surveys. In the USA, variation in the context of abortion between states may influence respondents' exposure to abortion stigma and create geographic variation in their likelihood of disclosing abortion in surveys. We used restricted geographic data from the 2006-2010 and 2011-2015 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) to investigate the association between abortion reporting in the USA and state-level structural factors that may influence respondents' experience of abortion stigma. At the aggregate level, we compared the weighted number of abortions women reported in the NSFG to abortion counts derived from abortion provider censuses and test for variation in underreporting by state-level structural measures. At the individual level, we tested if state-level structural factors were associated with less reporting of abortion in the face-to-face (FTF) survey mode than the more confidential audio computer-assisted self-interviewing mode (ACASI) of the NSFG. We found that at the aggregate level, there were no differences in reporting by the state-level measures. At the individual level, about 40% of women and men who reported an abortion in their ACASI did not fully report in the FTF interview; however, there were few differences by any state-level factors. This study documents that abortion stigma plagues the quality of reporting in the USA for both women and men, regardless of which state they live in. Survey improvements to reduce abortion underreporting are needed.
RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: The objective was to examine the provision of abortion by obstetrician-gynecologists in private practice in the United States (U.S.) and their willingness to provide referrals for abortion services. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a cross-sectional national survey of 1961 U.S. obstetrician-gynecologists to estimate the frequency with which abortions and referrals for abortion care were provided in private practice settings. Key measures included whether respondents had provided any abortions in 2013 or 2014, type of abortions provided and willingness to provide abortion referrals. Facility location by region was the only measured correlate of abortion provision. RESULTS: We received a total of 988 surveys for a response rate of 65%. Sixty-seven (7%) obstetrician-gynecologists reported providing at least one abortion in 2013 or 2014, though this result ranged from 4% (n=23) to 13% (n=44) of obstetrician-gynecologists depending on survey response type. Among physicians practicing in the Northeast and West, 14% and 10%, respectively (n=24 in each region) were abortion providers compared to 4% (n=9) and 3% (n=10) of physicians in the Midwest and South, respectively. Twenty-three (42%) providers indicated only performing surgical abortions, 14 (25%) indicated only medication abortions, and 18 (33%) reported providing both. Among respondents who did not provide abortions, just over half (n=415, 54%) indicated that they referred patients to a facility or practice where they could obtain an abortion, but 271 (35%) said they would not provide a referral. CONCLUSIONS: Only a small proportion of all obstetrician-gynecologists in private practice settings provide abortions. Among nonproviders, a substantial minority do not offer abortion referrals. IMPLICATIONS: Particularly in geographic areas with few abortion providers, continued efforts are needed to equip medical professionals with information and training to make direct referrals.
