Abortion Access Post-Dobbs: Free CME and Resources for Physicians and Patients
- May 1
- 3 min read
Susie Baldwin, MD, MPH, FACPM, Erika Martinez Abad, MPH, and the Office of Women’s Health Team
Post-Dobbs Abortion Access: Health Impacts, Counseling Pathways, and Free CME for Providers
Physicians are increasingly asked to provide accurate information about abortion, address misinformation, and guide patients to appropriate reproductive health resources in a rapidly evolving clinical and legal environment.
To support this, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health offers a 1.25-hour online training with free continuing medical education credit for physicians and other health professionals. The training will help strengthen physicians’ ability to provide accurate information about abortion, correct misinformation, distinguish abortion and contraceptive options, and improve confidence in referring patients to appropriate care and resources.
Why this training is needed now
Access to abortion is a core component of reproductive health care and directly affects the health of individuals, families, and communities. In the United States, abortion is common and highly safe when provided according to established clinical standards.[1], [2], [3], [4]
However, access to abortion care has become increasingly restricted, creating barriers to timely, evidence-based care.
Following the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization Supreme Court case decision, abortion bans and restrictions enacted across many states have introduced clinical and operational challenges. Evidence indicates that these policies are associated with delays in care for conditions such as miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, and intrauterine fetal demise, situations where timely intervention is critical to prevent complications.[5], [6], [7], [8]
These delays are linked to provider hesitation or inability to provide care due to legal risk, as well as institutional, pharmacy, and system-level constraints. 8, [9]
These challenges directly affect routine medical practice because the management of pregnancy loss relies on the same medications and procedures used in abortion care.[10], [11], [12]
As a result, legal restrictions can interfere with clinicians’ ability to provide standard-of-care treatment. National survey data show that since Dobbs, more than one-third of obstetrician-gynecologists, and up to 55% in states with bans, report reduced ability to practice in alignment with clinical standards.11, [13], [14], [15]
Resulting policies have also exacerbated maternal health disparities, particularly among Black women, by compounding barriers to timely prenatal and emergency care and worsening workforce and access limitations in underserved settings.[16], [17]
Contact AbortionLAC@ph.lacounty.gov for more information.
References
[1] American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Abortion care. ACOG. Accessed July 14, 2025. https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/induced-abortion
[2] Kortsmit K, Nguyen AT, Mandel MG, et al. Abortion surveillance — United States, 2021. MMWR Surveill Summ. 2023;72(9):1-29. doi:10.15585/mmwr.ss7209a1
[3] World Health Organization. Abortion. World Health Organization. Published May 17, 2024. Accessed July 14, 2025. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/abortion
[4] Society of Family Planning. #WeCount report: April 2022 through December 2024. Published June 23, 2025. Accessed August 21, 2025. https://societyfp.org/wecount-report-9-december-2024-data/. doi:10.46621/725961gzsnai
[5] Kimport K. Abortion after Dobbs: Defendants, denials, and delays. Sci Adv. September 2022. doi:10.1126/sciadv.ade5327
[6] Berglas NF, Barnes JT, Gonzalez Ba E, Peters L, Foster DG. Changes in abortion access, travel, and costs since the implementation of state abortion bans, 2022-2024. Am J Public Health. 2025;():e1-e10. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2025.308191
[7] Grossman D, Joffe C, Kaller S, Kimport K, Kinsey ET, Morris N, White K. Care Post-Roe: Documenting Cases of Poor-Quality Care Since the Dobbs Decision. Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH), University of California, San Francisco; 2024. Accessed August 26, 2025. https://sixrepro.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/ANSIRH-Care-Post-Roe-Report-9.04.24.pdf
[8] Life of the Mother. ProPublica. Published September 26, 2024. Accessed August 26, 2025.
[9] Srinivasulu S. Insights: The Impacts of Abortion Bans on Maternal Health. Reproductive Health Access Project; January 28, 2025. Accessed August 26, 2025. https://www.reproductiveaccess.org/resource/insights-the-impacts-of-abortion-bans-on-maternal-health/
[10] Beaman J, Prifti C, Schwarz EB, Sobota M. Medication to manage abortion and miscarriage. J Gen Intern Med. 2020;35(8):2398-2405. doi:10.1007/s11606-020-05836-9
[11] Ranji U, Salganicoff A, Sobel L. Dobbs-Era Abortion Bans and Restrictions: Early Insights About Implications for Pregnancy Loss.Kaiser Family Foundation; May 2, 2024. Accessed August 26, 2025. https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/dobbs-era-abortion-bans-and-restrictions-early-insights-about-implications-for-pregnancy-loss/
[12] Tunçalp O, Gülmezoglu AM, Souza JP. Surgical procedures for evacuating incomplete miscarriage. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2010;(9):CD001993. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD001993.pub2
[13] Sabbath EL, McKetchnie SM, Arora KS, Buchbinder M. US obstetrician-gynecologists’ perceived impacts of post–Dobbs v Jackson State abortion bans. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(1):e2352109. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.52109
[14] National Partnership for Women & Families. Dobbs’ Erosion of the Health Care Workforce: Harms to Providers and Patients. NPWF; 2024. Accessed August 26, 2025. https://nationalpartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/dobbs-erosion-health-care-workforce.pdf
[15] Frederiksen B, Ranji U, Gomez I, and Salganicoff A. A National Survey of OBGYNs’ Experiences After Dobbs. Kaiser Family Foundation. Jun 21, 2023. Accessed August 26, 2025. https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/a-national-survey-of-obgyns-experiences-after-dobbs/
[16] Hill L, Rao A, Artiga S, Ranji U. Racial Disparities in Maternal and Infant Health: Current Status and Efforts to Address Them. Kaiser Family Foundation. October 25, 2024. Accessed August 26, 2025. https://www.kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/racial-disparities-in-maternal-and-infant-health-current-status-and-efforts-to-address-them/
[17] Hill L, Artiga S, Ranji U, Gomez I, Ndugga N. What are the Implications of the Dobbs Ruling for Racial Disparities? Kaiser Family Foundation. Apr 24, 2024. Accessed August 26, 2025. https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/what-are-the-implications-of-the-dobbs-ruling-for-racial-disparities/
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