RESEARCH | Abortion Education Valued by Medical Students, Should Be Integrated Into Medical School Curricula, Study Says
[March 20, 2008]

Summary of "Abortion Education in the Medical Curriculum: A Survey of Student Attitudes," Espey et al., Contraception, March 2008.

The study evaluated student attitudes toward the inclusion of abortion education in preclinical and clinical medical school curricula. Seventeen percent of schools have no formal education on abortion, and less than half include at least one dedicated lecture on abortion in the medical curriculum. About 45% of schools report offering an elective clinical experience in abortion care during the third year.

Methods
Researchers in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of New Mexico asked 118 medical students completing the ob-gyn third-year clinical rotation at UNM from May 2004 through January 2005 to complete a 21-item survey. Students answered questions about their views on the appropriateness of abortion education in medical school curricula; reasons for participation or nonparticipation in the abortion care experiences during the clinical curricula; and the value of abortion education. Students who were planning to practice obstetrics and gynecology or family medicine were asked about their views on abortion education in residency and whether they planned to provide abortion services in their future practices.

Results
One hundred students completed the survey for a response rate of 85%. The demographic characteristics of those surveyed approximated the composition of students in the medical school. Thirty-four percent of the respondents were men and 66% were women. Fifty-seven percent of the students self-identified as non-Hispanic white, 32% as Hispanic, 6% as Asian and 1% as American Indian. Of the respondents, 53% participated in a half-day abortion care session at Planned Parenthood or a two-week reproductive health elective course. Seventy-three percent of those participating in the abortion training self-identified as "pro-choice," 4% self-identified as "pro-life" and 23% self-identified as both. Of the nonparticipants, 61% were pro-choice, 30% were pro-life and 9% were both. More non-Hispanic whites than other races participated in the abortion care experience, the study found. While more women than men participated in the abortion care experience, after adjusting for ethnicity, the apparent effect of gender was no longer a predictor.

The majority of respondents, including those who opted out of the abortion education, indicated that the course was appropriate in the preclinical and clinical curricula, according to the findings. A majority also said that students should not be able to opt out of preclinical abortion education but that clinical experiences should be optional. The majority of students who planned a career in family medicine and ob-gyn indicated that they were more likely to provide medical abortions than they were before medical school.

Conclusion
Preclinical abortion education and elective clinical abortion care experiences are valued by medical students and should be offered to all students "as an essential part of women's health care education," the study said. In addition, the authors conclude that medical school educators and curriculum designers should "ensure that abortion training is an integral component of their medical school curricula." More opportunities for abortion education in medical school also might help medical students develop into physicians of all specialties who will advocate for continued access to and availability of abortion.





The information contained in this publication reflects media coverage of women’s health issues and does not necessarily reflect the views of the National Partnership for Women & Families.

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