Amid clinic closures, young doctors seek abortion training

https://www.yahoo.com/news/amid-clinic-closures-young-doctors-seek-abortion-training-102016242.html?nhp=1


Amid clinic closures, young doctors seek abortion training

By Jilian Mincer
April 11, 2016

File photo of Whole Woman's Health founder Amy Hagstrom Miller speaking to members of the media during a media tour of the Whole Woman’s Health clinic in San AntonioView photos
Whole Woman's Health founder Amy Hagstrom Miller speaks to members of the media during a media tour of the Whole Woman’s Health clinic in San Antonio, Texas, in this file photo taken February 9, 2016. REUTERS/Darren Abate/Files
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By Jilian Mincer

(Reuters) - Even as scores of U.S. abortion clinics have shut down, the number of doctors trained to provide the procedure has surged – but only in some parts of the country.

Two little-known training programs say they have expanded rapidly in recent years, fueled by robust private funding and strong demand. Launched nearly a quarter century ago amid protest and violence, the programs now train more than 1,000 doctors and medical students annually in reproductive services, from contraception to all types of abortion, according to interviews with Reuters.

But their impact is limited. Most of the doctors end up working near where they train, not in several Southern and Midwestern states that have imposed waiting periods, mandated counseling and enacted other controls.

"I don’t think we have a provider shortage anymore," said Sarah W. Prager, a University of Washington Medical School professor. "What we have is a distribution problem. We have a lot of providers in some of our city centers, but in rural areas there are very few people willing or able to provide care."