RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 “They Go Hand in Hand”: Perspectives on the Relationship Between the Core Values of Family Medicine and Abortion Provision Among Family Physicians Who Do Not Oppose Abortion
JF The Journal of the American Board of Family
                Medicine
JO J Am Board Fam Med
FD American Board of Family Medicine
SP 583
OP 590
DO 10.3122/jabfm.2022.220301R2
VO 36
IS 4
A1 Wulf, Sarah
A1 Carvajal, Diana N.
A1 Razon, Na’amah
A1 Perez, Citlali
A1 McNeil, Sarah
A1 Maldonado, Lisa
A1 Fields, Alison Byrne
A1 Silverstein, Ilana
A1 Dehlendorf, Christine
YR 2023
UL http://www.jabfm.org/content/36/4/583.abstract
AB Introduction: Most family physicians do not provide abortion care, despite an apparent alignment between the defined values of family medicine and provision of abortion in primary care. This study seeks to understand how family physicians themselves perceive the relationship between their specialty’s values and abortion provision.Methods: We conducted in-depth interviews in 2019 with 56 family physicians who do not oppose abortion in the United States. We employed a deductive-inductive content analysis approach with memos to identify key themes. This analysis focuses on participants’ beliefs in the core values of family medicine and how those values relate to abortion in family medicine.Results: Participants identified and described six values of the specialty they prioritized, which included relationships, care across the lifespan, whole-person care, nonjudgmental care, meeting community needs, and social justice. Family physicians in the study overwhelmingly believed that abortion aligned with family medicine values, regardless of whether they themselves provided abortion care.Conclusions: Providing abortion care in primary care settings gives family physicians an opportunity to provide comprehensive care while improving access to meet community needs. As abortion care becomes increasingly restricted in the United States, family physicians can manifest the values of family medicine through integrating abortion care into their practices in states where abortion remains legal.