The end of Roe v. Wade and constitutional protections for abortion rights has significant implications for emergency departments in both states that move to criminalize abortion as well as states with more supportive abortion laws. However, many emergency providers may not be familiar with up-to-date care for post-abortion patients. Interdisciplinary collaboration between emergency departments and obstetrics and gynecology departments will be critical. The below resources can help:
A recording of the June 16, 2022 webinar “Roe is falling: Is your Emergency Department ready”
Teaching
- Innovating Education in Reproductive Health: Free curricula and learning tools about sexual and reproductive health, including counseling, early pregnancy loss, and abortion
- Early Abortion Training Curriculum: The TEACH Early Abortion Training Workbook is an all-inclusive interactive curriculum with tools to train new reproductive health providers to competence
- Patient-Centered Pregnancy Options Counseling: Developed by RHEDI, these video-based learning tools aim to model effective patient-centered, non-directive counseling to patients about pregnancy decision-making
Clinical
- Example of algorithm for post-abortion care follow up (download file)
- Reproductive Health Access Project: Resource library for abortion protocols, fact sheets, patient information, administrative tools, etc.
- Training, Education, & Advocacy in Miscarriage Management (TEAMM): Resources to train and support healthcare teams to integrate evidence-based, high quality, patient-centered early pregnancy loss services into their outpatient and emergency room settings
- TEAMM presentation on how to build relationships with emergency medicine physicians and introduce manual uterine aspiration in the emergency room:
Policy
- Guttmacher Institute: Leading research and policy organization committed to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights – maintains a comprehensive, up-to-date list of the reproductive health laws and policies throughout the U.S.
Legal
- If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice transforms the law and policy landscape through advocacy, support, and organizing so all people have the power to determine if, when, and how to define, create, and sustain families with dignity and to actualize sexual and reproductive wellbeing on their own terms
- Repro Legal Helpline: If/When/How’s free, confidential helpline for legal information or advice about self-managed abortion, young people’s access to abortion or judicial bypass, and referrals to local resources
- Regulatory Assistance for Abortion Providers: To serve your patients and protect your facility and staff, this information will help you better understand how different practices might increase or decrease your legal risks
Abortion information for patients
- Reproductive Health Access Project: Patient education sheets and resources for self-sourcing
- I Need an A: Gives people seeking abortions the information most relevant to their individual circumstances
- Plan C: Up-to-date information on how people in the U.S. are accessing at-home abortion pill options online
- M+A Hotline: Clinician advice on self-managing miscarriage or abortion
- All-Options Talkline: All-Options offers peer-based counseling and support for past or current experience with abortion, adoption, parenting, infertility, or pregnancy loss
- Self-Managed Abortion; Safe & Supported (SASS): Provides information on how to use abortion pills to end an unwanted pregnancy, with or without a clinician
- Safe Abortion App (SA): Accurate, actionable, and comprehensive information about abortion — downloads free in a single multilingual app
- Euki App: Information about sex and reproductive health including sexuality, abortion, miscarriage, contraception, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
Abortion information and training for providers
- Society of Family Planning interim clinical recommendations_Self-managed abortion: This interim recommendation is intended to serve as a guide to aid clinical practice in an anticipated post-Roe landscape, and is based on the evidence available at the time of publication and on expert opinion
- Abortion Care Guideline: Complete set of all World Health Organization recommendations and best practice statements relating to abortion
- Clinical Abortion Training Centers: Consortium of abortion clinics where physicians and advanced practice clinicians can obtain abortion training, refresh, or augment clinical skills
Referrals
- Abortion Finder: Features the most comprehensive directory of trusted (and verified) abortion service providers in the U.S.
- Crisis Pregnancy Center (CPC) Map: CPC Map identifies crisis pregnancy centers (also known as “fake women’s health centers”) in your area – CPCs primarily aim to prevent people from having abortions – when making a clinic referral, ensure you are not referring patients to a CPC
Future Possibilities
- Contraception App: The U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use comprises recommendations for the use of specific contraceptive methods by patients who have certain characteristics or medical conditions
Webinar Contacts
- Atsuko Koyama, MD, MPH akoyama@arizona.edu
- Lauren Paulk, JD lauren@ifwhenhow.org
- Kelly Quinley, MD kelly.quinley@kp.org