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Review
. 2024 Jul 1;19(7):e0303601.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0303601. eCollection 2024.

Providers' experiences with abortion care: A scoping review

B Dempsey  1 , S Callaghan  1   2 , M F Higgins  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Providers' experiences with abortion care: A scoping review

B Dempsey et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Background: Induced abortion is one of the most common gynecological procedures in the world, with as many as three in every ten pregnancies ending in abortion. It, however, remains controversial. The objective of this scoping review was to explore and map existing literature on the experiences of those who provide abortion care.

Methods and findings: This exploratory review followed the Levac et al. guidelines and was reported in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR checklist. CINAHL, Cochrane, EMBASE, PsycInfo, PubMed, and Web of Science were used to identify peer-reviewed, original research articles published on providers' experience of abortion. We identified 106 relevant studies, which include a total sample of 4,250 providers from 28 countries and six continents. Most of the studies were qualitative (n = 83), though quantitative (n = 15) and mixed methods (n = 8) studies were also included. We identified two overarching themes: (1) Providers' experiences with abortion stigma and (2) Providers' reflections on their abortion work. Our findings suggest that providers from around the world experience challenges within society and their communities and workplaces which reinforce the stigmatization and marginalization of abortion and pose questions about the morality of this work. Most, however, are proud of their work, believe abortion care to be socially important and necessary, and remain committed to the provision of care.

Conclusions: The findings of this review provide a comprehensive overview on the known experiences of providing abortion care. It is a key point of reference for international providers, researchers, and advocates to further this area of research or discussion in their own territories. The findings of this review will inform future work on how to support providers against stigmatization and will offer providers the chance to reflect on their own experiences.

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Conflict of interest statement

We declare no financial conflicts of interest regarding this piece of work, though acknowledge that one author (Dr. Mary F. Higgins) campaigned for repeal during the 2018 referendum and is a practicing abortion provider in the Republic of Ireland. Additionally, two authors (BD and MFH) are involved in other research studies exploring providers’ experiences with abortion care in the Republic of Ireland. This does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Flow chart showing the study selection process for the scoping review on providers’ experiences with abortion, adapted from the free chart designed by PRISMA [13].
Fig 2
Fig 2. Map showing the countries included in the scoping review.
The colors of each country indicate the number of studies included in the review for each country, according to the discrete categories at the bottom of the screen.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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References

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Grants and funding

This work was supported by the National Maternity Hospital, Dublin, Ireland in fulfillment of an academic qualification to be completed by the lead author. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.