Research ArticleOriginal Research

Fewer Abortions in States with More Family Physicians

Amanda Weidner
The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine September 2026, 39 (1) 167594; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3122/jabfm.2025.250295R1

Article Figures & Data

Figures

  • Associations Between Physician Workforce Composition and State-Level Reproductive Health IndicatorsNotes: Bivariate analyses of 50 US states and Washington, DC, examining associations between the number of family physicians, internists, and obstetrician-gynecologists in direct patient care (per 100,000 population, 2022, AAMC US Physician Workforce Data Dashboard) and state-level reproductive health indicators. Indicators include abortion and pregnancy rates (per 1,000 women ages 15-44) and the number of women per abortion clinic (1,000 women ages 15-44 per clinic), based on 2020-2024 publicly available data. Each point represents a state; lines indicate the direction and strength of correlation for each physician group.
    Figure 1. Associations Between Physician Workforce Composition and State-Level Reproductive Health Indicators

    Notes: Bivariate analyses of 50 US states and Washington, DC, examining associations between the number of family physicians, internists, and obstetrician-gynecologists in direct patient care (per 100,000 population, 2022, AAMC US Physician Workforce Data Dashboard) and state-level reproductive health indicators. Indicators include abortion and pregnancy rates (per 1,000 women ages 15-44) and the number of women per abortion clinic (1,000 women ages 15-44 per clinic), based on 2020-2024 publicly available data. Each point represents a state; lines indicate the direction and strength of correlation for each physician group.

Tables

  • Table 1. Bivariate Correlations Among Physician Workforce, Reproductive Health Indicators, and State Contextual Factors Across 50 US States and Washington, DC (2020-2024 Publicly Available Data; Two-Tailed Pearson’s Correlation)
    Family docs per 100KInternists per 100KOb/ gyns per 100KPregnancy rate per 1,000 women ages 15-44Abortion rate per 1,000 women ages 15-441,000 women per abortion clinicRural population percent
    Pregnancy rate -.385 (.005).007 (.962).097 (.496)
    Abortion rate -.541 (< .001).668 (< .001).607 (< .001).553 (< .001)
    1K women per abortion clinic .331 (.018)-.173 (.226)-.119 (.405)-.218
    (.124)    		-.287 (.041)
    Rural population percent .578 (< .001)-.453 (< .001)-.363 (.009)-.381 (.006)-.604 (< .001).344 (.013)
    Law: Abortions banned -.023 (.872)-.389 (.005)-.315 (.024).095
    (.506)    		-.409 (.003).112 (.432).423
    (.002)
    Law: Abortions 6-12 weeks LMP -.061 (.673)-.164 (.251)-.146 (.307).078
    (.587)    		.009 (.950)-.133 (.351).006
    (.968)
    Law: Abortions >18 weeks LMP .061
    (.670)    		.463 (< .001).384 (.005)-.138
    (.333)    		.368 (.008)-.015 (.918)-.391
    (.005)

    Note: 100K means 100,000 population

    Abbreviation: LMP = last menstrual period

    • Table 2. Multivariate Linear Regression Models of Physician Workforce and Abortion Rates Across 50 US States and Washington, DC (2020-2024 Publicly Available Data)
      Family physicians
      R2 = .668
      F = 14.764 (P < .001)

      B (SE), p      		Internists
      R2 = .798
      F = 28.958 (P < .001)

      B (SE), p      		Ob/gyns
      R2 = .723
      F = 19.125 (P < .001)

      B (SE), p
      Constant-9.531 (7.546), P = .213-31.407 (6.011), P < .001-26.816 (6.916), P < .001
      Physicians per 100,000 population (FPs or internists or ob/gyns—by model) -.212 (.064), P = .002.253 (.037), P < .001.807 (.174), P < .001
      Rural population %.010 (.053), P = .858-.014 (.036), P = .697-.054 (.041), P = .198
      Pregnancy rate.387 (.0833), P < .001.454 (.065), P < .001.392 (.076), P < .001
      1,000 women per clinic-.001 (.003), P = .752-.001 (.002), P = .658-.002 (.003), P = .484
      Law: Abortions banned-6.582 (1.459), P < .001-2.929 (1.106), P = .011-3.443 (1.289), P = .011
      Law: Abortions 6-12 weeks LMP-3.037 (1.674), P = .076.037 (1.333), P = .978-.618 (1.551), P = .692
      Law: Abortions > 18 weeks LMP Excluded for collinearity; reference (dummy variables) Excluded for collinearity; reference (dummy variables) Excluded for collinearity; reference (dummy variables)

      Abbreviations: Ob/gyns = obstetrician/gynecologists, FPs = family physicians, LMP = last menstrual period

      • Appendix Table 1. Measurement/Variables Table (Data Dictionary)
        Variable short nameVariable definition/descriptionVariable typeVariable measures (if applicable)Data source (linked to URL)Notes
        StateStatenominal(all 50 states + DC)
        Rural_pop_pct% of state population in a rural area (2020 census)continuoushttps://view.officeapps.live.com/o
        p/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F
        %2Fwww2.census.gov%2Fgeo%2F
        docs%2Freference%2Fua%2FSta
        te_Urban_Rural_Pop_2020_2010.
        xlsx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK
        LawCurrent law on abortion in state (as of Dec 2024)nominal

        • Abortion banned

        • Gestational limit between 6 and 12 weeks LMP

        • Gestational limit between 18 and 22 weeks LMP

        • Gestational limit at or near viability

        • No gestational limits

        		https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/dashboard/abortion-in-the-u-s-dashboard/#releasesThis was used as a proxy for acceptability of abortion services in a given state, and an estimate of the climate/prior restrictions in the state before the Dobbs decision.
        Two states (Missouri and North Dakota) had their legislature pass an abortion ban but it was blocked in court so they were currently labeled as “gestational limit at or near viability” in Dec 2024. Given this is a proxy for climate and a ban was passed, I considered them as abortion banned for this analysis.
        ClinicsBrick-and-mortar abortion clinics (as of 2020)continuoushttps://www.guttmacher.org/report/abortion-clinics-united-states-2020-2024An attempt to assess access; does not include abortions at hospitals, office settings, telehealth
        WomenPopulation of women 15-44 (2020)continuoushttps://osf.io/kthnf/
        1kW_per_clinic1,000 women per cliniccalculatedCALCULATED = ((women)/(clinics))/1000Attempt to demonstrate approx access to abortion within a state; women of reproductive age (15-44) divided by brick-and-mortar abortion clinics
        familydocs_100kFamily physicians per 100,000 population in direct patient care (2022)continuoushttps://public.tableau.com/app/profile/hca.data.and.analytics/viz/U_S_PhysicianWorkforceDataDashboard/HomeVersion2_1
        Internists_100kInternal medicine physicians per 100,000 population in direct patient care (2022)continuoushttps://public.tableau.com/app/profile/hca.data.and.analytics/viz/U_S_PhysicianWorkforceDataDashboard/HomeVersion2_1
        Obgyns_100kOb/gyn physicians per 100,000 population in direct patient care (2022)continuoushttps://public.tableau.com/app/profile/hca.data.and.analytics/viz/U_S_PhysicianWorkforceDataDashboard/HomeVersion2_1
        PregnancyratetotalPregnancies per 1,000 women (2020)continuoushttps://osf.io/kthnf/
        abortionratetotalAbortions per 1,000 women (2020)continuoushttps://osf.io/kthnf/
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