EditorialOriginal Research

Abortion Provision by Family Physicians Before and After Dobbs: Trends Across Career Stages and State Restrictions

Caroline Murtagh, Sarah Fleischer and Lars E. Peterson
The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine January 2026, 39 (1) 158253; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3122/jabfm.2025.250263R1

Article Figures & Data

Figures

  • Figure 1.
    Figure 1. Percentage of Early-Career and Mid-to-Late-Career Family Physicians (FPs) Providing Abortion Over Time in States Where Abortion Is Legal and States Where Abortion Is Most Restricted.

    Data was collected from the National Graduate Survey (NGS) and Practice Demographic Survey (PDS) during board certification from 2019 - June 24, 2022 and June 25, 2022 - 2024, representing a national sample of Family physicians.

  • Figure 2.
    Figure 2. Adjusted Odds Ratio of Abortion Provision Amongst Family Physicians.

    Abbreviations: International Medical Graduate (IMG), Under-Represented in Medicine (URiM), US Medical Graduates (USMGs)

    Data was collected from the National Demographic Survey (NGS) and Practice Demographic Survey (PDS) during board certification from 2019 - June 24, 2022 and June 25, 2022 - 2024, representing a national sample of Family physicians.

Tables

  • Table 1. Demographic Characteristics of Family Physicians (FPs) by Abortion Provision Pre- and Post-Dobbs.
    Pre-DobbsPost-Dobbs
    Provides Abortion Provides Abortion
    No Yes All P-Value No Yes All P-Value
    Total 31,15539831,55328,13241228,544
    State Restrictions Abortion Legal 21,134 (67.8%)347 (87.2%)21,481 (68.1%)<0.000118,709 (66.5%)376 (91.3%)19,085 (66.9%)<0.0001
    Most Restrictive 10,021 (32.2%)51 (12.8%)10,072 (31.9%)9,423 (33.5%)36 (8.7%)9,459 (33.1%)
    Age Category <40 8,450 (27.1%)244 (61.3%)8,694 (27.6%)<0.00016,136 (21.8%)198 (48.1%)6,334 (22.2%)<0.0001
    40-49 8,464 (27.2%)74 (18.6%)8,538 (27.1%)7,144 (25.4%)117 (28.4%)7,261 (25.4%)
    50-59 8,083 (25.9%)52 (13.1%)8,135 (25.8%)8,036 (28.6%)62 (15.0%)8,098 (28.4%)
    60+ 6,158 (19.8%)28 (7.0%)6,186 (19.6%)6,816 (24.2%)35 (8.5%)6,851 (24.0%)
    Gender Female 14,345 (46.0%)283 (71.1%)14,628 (46.4%)<0.000113,172 (46.8%)301 (73.1%)13,473 (47.2%)<0.0001
    Male 16,736 (53.7%)109 (27.4%)16,845 (53.4%)14,888 (52.9%)105 (25.5%)14,993 (52.5%)
    Non-binary 16 (0.1%)5 (1.3%)21 (0.1%)12 (0.0%)4 (1.0%)16 (0.1%)
    Prefer not to answer 54 (0.2%)1 (0.3%)55 (0.2%)54 (0.2%)2 (0.5%)56 (0.2%)
    Prefer to self-describe 4 (0.0%)4 (0.0%)6 (0.0%)6 (0.0%)
    Under-Represented in Medicine Not URiM 26,206 (85.4%)341 (86.3%)26,547 (85.4%)0.59523,169 (83.4%)348 (85.5%)23,517 (83.4%)0.2601
    URiM 4,488 (14.6%)54 (13.7%)4,542 (14.6%)4,607 (16.6%)59 (14.5%)4,666 (16.6%)
    Degree Type DO 3,985 (12.8%)31 (7.8%)4,016 (12.7%)0.00373,868 (13.7%)40 (9.7%)3,908 (13.7%)0.0206
    MD 27, 170 (87.2%)367 (92.2%)27,537 (87.3%)24,264 (86.3%)372 (90.3%)24,636 (86.3%)
    Degree Nationality USMG 24,388 (79.2%)331 (83.6%)24,719 (79.2%)0.036520,840 (75.1%)350 (85.4%)21,190 (75.3%)<0.0001
    IMG 6,414 (20.8%)65 (16.4%)6,479 (29.8%6,903 (24.9%)60 (14.6%)6,963 (24.7%)
    Rurality Isolated 755 (2.4%)10 (2.5%)765 (2.4%)0.2155702 (2.5%)5 (1.2%)707 (2.5%)0.0682
    Small Rural 1,780 (5.7%)15 (3.8%)1,795 (5.7%)1,591 (5.7%)18 (4.4%)1,609 (5.6%)
    Large Rural 2,906 (9.3%)30 (7.5%)2,936 (9.3%)2,539 (9.0%)28 (6.8%)2,567 (9.0%)
    Urban 25,696 (82.5%)343 (86.2%)26,039 (82.6%)23,288 (82.8%)361 (87.6%)23,649 (82.9%)

    Abbreviations: International Medical Graduate (IMG), Under-Represented in Medicine (URiM), US Medical Graduates (USMGs)

    Data was collected from the National Graduate Survey (NGS) and Practice Demographic Survey (PDS) during board certification from 2019 - June 24, 2022 and June 25, 2022 - 2024, representing a national sample of family physicians.

    • Table 2. Practice Characteristics of Family Physicians (FPs) by Abortion Provision Pre- and Post-Dobbs.
      Pre-DobbsPost-Dobbs
      Provides Abortion Provides Abortion
      No Yes All P-Value No Yes All P-Value
      Delivers Babies No 28,802 (92.5%)249 (62.6%)29,051 (92.1%)<0.000126,451 (94.1%)275 (66.7%)26,726 (93.7%)<0.0001
      Yes 2,351 (7.5%)149 (37.4%)2,500 (7.9%)1,672 (5.9%)137 (33.3%)1,809 (6.3%)
      Provides Colposcopy No 27,854 (89.4%)189 (47.5%)28,043 (88.9%)<0.000125,664 (91.2%)228 (55.3%)25,892 (90.7%)<0.0001
      Yes 3,301 (10.6%)209 (52.5%)3,510 (11.1%)2,468 (8.8%)184 (44.7%)2,652 (9.3%)
      Provides IUD Insertion No 22,741 (73.0%)25 (6.3%)22,766 (72.2%)<0.000121,041 (74.8%)40 (9.7%)21,081 (73.9%)<0.0001
      Yes 8,414 (27.0%)373 (93.7%)8,787 (27.8%)7,091 (25.2%)372 (90.3%)7,463 (26.1%)
      Provides Implantable Contraception (e.g. Nexplanon) No 23,682 (76.0%)35 (8.8%)23,717 (75.2%)<0.000121,462 (76.3%)48 (11.7%)21,510 (75.4%)<0.0001
      Yes 7,473 (24.0%)363 (91.2%)7,836 (24.8%)6,670 (23.7%)364 (88.3%)7,034 (24.6%)
      Provides Uterine Aspiration No 30,259 (97.2%)162 (40.7%)30,421 (96.4%)<0.000127,486 (97.7%)227 (55.1%)27,713 (97.1%)<0.0001
      Yes 886 (2.8%)236 (59.3%)1,122 (3.6%)638 (2.3%)185 (44.9%)823 (2.9%)
      Provides Basic OB Ultrasound No 28,596 (91.8%)132 (33.2%)28,728 (91.0%)<0.000125,973 (92.3%)163 (39.6%)26,136 (91.6%)<0.0001
      Yes 2,559 (8.2%)266 (66.8%)2,825 (9.0%)2,159 (7.7%)249 (60.4%)2,408 (8.4%)
      Provides Endometrial Biopsy No 24,934 (80.0%)88 (22.1%)25,022 (79.3%)<0.000123,467 (83.4%)121 (29.4%)23,588 (82.6%)<0.0001
      Yes 6,221 (20.0%)310 (77.9%)6,531 (20.7%)4,665 (16.6%)291 (70.6%)4,956 (17.4%)

      Abbreviations: Intrauterine Device (IUD), Obstetrics (OB)

      Data was collected from the National Graduate Survey (NGS) and Practice Demographic Survey (PDS) during board certification from 2019 - June 24, 2022 and June 25, 2022 - 2024, representing a national sample of Family physicians.

      • Appendix 1. Differences in Demographic Characteristics Between Respondents and Non-Respondents to the Practice Demographic Survey (PDS) Survey Over Time.
        RespondentNon-RespondentP Value
        201910,75718,948
        Mean Age in years51.84 (9.52)53.97 (9.92)<.0001
        Female gender4,659 (43.3%)7,946 (41.9%)0.1094
        MD9,645 (89.7%)17,254 (91.1%)0.0002
        International Medical Graduate1,841 (17.4%)3,571 (19.1%)0.0003
        Under Represented in Medicine1,497 (14.1%)2,451 (13.6%)0.2569
        20207,16321,491
        Mean Age in years51.41 (9.93)52.01 (10.28)<.0001
        Female gender3,218 (44.9%)9,495 (44.2%)0.3359
        MD6,387 (89.2%)19,236 (89.5%)0.4168
        International Medical Graduate1,344 (19.1%)4,887 (23.1%)<.0001
        Under Represented in Medicine1,011 (14.4%)3,479 (16.8%)<.0001
        20216,03317,880
        Mean Age in years51.92 (10.01)52.14 (10.53)0.1869
        Female gender2,721 (45.1%)8,036 (44.9%)0.1869
        MD5,318 (88.1%)15,869 (88.8%)0.2016
        International Medical Graduate1,246 (20.9%)3,995 (22.6%)0.0164
        Under Represented in Medicine802 (13.5%)2,574 (14.9%)0.0215
        202210,34921,158
        Mean Age in years54.38 (9.92)53.45 (10.74)<.0001
        Female gender4,587 (44.3%)9,427 (44.6%)0.4439
        MD9,264 (89.5%)18,840 (89.0%)0.3080
        International Medical Graduate2,210 (21.7%)4,193 (20.0%)0.0015
        Under Represented in Medicine1,463 (14.3%)3,044 (14.6%)0.4439
        20239,56720,771
        Mean Age in years53.05 (10.13)52.08 (10.66)<.0001
        Female gender4,448 (46.5%)9,678 (46.6%)0.0359
        MD8,433 (88.1%)18,289 (88.1%)0.8103
        International Medical Graduate2,341 (24.9%)4,723 (23.1%)0.0008
        Under Represented in Medicine1,648 (17.4%)3,351 (16.5%)0.0633
        20247,92818,430
        Mean Age in years53.21 (10.49)51.83 (11.00)<.0001
        Female gender3,653 (46.1%)8,781 (47.6%)0.0496
        MD6,930 (87.4%)15,931 (86.4%)0.0496
        International Medical Graduate1,899 (24.3%)4,283 (23.5%)0.1987
        Under Represented in Medicine1,217 (15.6%)2,803 (15.5%)0.9334

        Although there were some significant year-to-year differences, there was no consistent pattern of bias in the PDS respondents.

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