Abortion doula

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Abortion doulas provide care before, during, and after an abortion, with support varying by patient and their informational, emotional, physical, and practical needs.

Contents

Work

Abortion doulas provide "nonjudgemental" [1] emotional, physical, informational, and logistical support and care before, during, and after a medical or surgical abortion. [2] [3] [4] [5] Many abortion doulas see their role is to help clients to make informed decisions through their support for reproductive autonomy. A challenge clients often face when accessing abortion doula care is lack of funds, resulting in abortion doulas working pro bono. [6]

Doulas work in a variety of situations, including being clinic-based, in community collectives and as solo practitioners. [7] [6] They may support the person emotionally and physically as they navigate a line of protesters, talk with them about the choice they've made, hold the person's hand or help with finding funding, navigating restrictions, accessing childcare, coordinating travel, and scheduling meal deliveries. [7] [8] [2] [3] [6]

Like other doulas, the abortion doula is concerned solely with the patient rather than having other concerns typical for the medical personnel present for an event. [9] [4] [10] Unlike other types of doulas, an abortion doula may interact with a patient only during the patient's abortion and may never interact with that patient again. [9]

Studies show that women overwhelmingly recommend abortion doula support even though there is no measurable effect on pain or satisfaction. Support from a doula is shown to reduce the need for an additional member of the clinic's staff with physicians and staff generally feeling that the presence of a doula improves a patient's experience. [11] The improved patient experience can include improved mental and physical health and respect for reproductive autonomy through affirmation as moral decision-makers. [6]

Training and licensure

Training varies and may include understanding barriers to health care, societal views of abortion, typical patient needs. [8] [12]

In the United States, as of 2022 there are no certifications specifically for abortion doulas that are administered nationally or through individual states. [7] [8] Because of this, there is no accurate estimate of numbers. [8] In 2019, Bustle estimated there were approximately 30 abortion doula collectives throughout the country. [4]

The work of an abortion doula was developed through the women's health movement in the 1980s where midwifery communities are doula began providing support for childbirth. [13] According to Bustle, the first abortion doula collective was formed in New York City in 2007, as a response to how the culture viewed abortion. [4] [14] Abortion doulas often view their work through a reproductive justice lens that utilizes an intersectional approach. [13]

United States

Restrictive abortion policies in the US exacerbates abortion stigma by patients, providers and doulas. This results in abortion doulas having to decide when and how to disclosure or hide their work. [6]

In the United States following the landmark decision, Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization , doulas expect to be contacted more frequently about abortion support as access becomes more limited. They are taking precautions to retain online anonymity to better protect patients and themselves and navigating threat of legal action. [15]

COVID-19

Pre-COVID-19, abortion doulas were typically allowed to remain with the patient through the procedure, but during the pandemic safety concerns meant at some clinics the abortion doula could not accompany the patient. [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

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A doula is a trained professional who provides expert guidance for the service of others and who supports another person through a significant health-related experience, such as childbirth, miscarriage, induced abortion or stillbirth, as well as non-reproductive experiences such as dying. A doula might also provide support to the client's partner, family, and friends.

An abortion clinic or abortion provider is a medical facility that provides abortions. Such clinics may be public medical centers, private medical practices or nonprofit organizations such as Planned Parenthood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Certified nurse-midwife</span> Advanced practice nurse who provides mid-level nursing and midwifery care

In the United States, a Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM) is a nurse midwife who exceeds the International Confederation of Midwives' essential competencies for a midwife and is also an advanced practice registered nurse, having completed registered nursing and midwifery education leading to practice as a nurse midwife and credentialing as a Certified Nurse-Midwife. CNMs provide care of women across their lifespan, including pregnancy and the postpartum period, and well woman care and birth control. Certified Nurse-Midwives are recognized by the International Confederation of Midwives as a type of midwife in the U.S.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carol Downer</span>

Carol Downer is an American feminist lawyer and non-fiction author who focused her career on abortion rights and women's health around the world. She was involved in the creation of the self-help movement and the first self-help clinic in LA, which later became a model and inspiration for dozens of self-help clinics across the United States.

An abortion fund is a non-profit organization that provides financial and logistical assistance to individuals who cannot afford the costs of an abortion. Abortion funds play a role in financing abortion services in countries where abortion is legal but not accessible. For example, health insurance may not cover abortion or transportation to abortion clinics may be financially or logistically infeasible. Abortion funds also provide assistance in cities, states, provinces or countries where abortion is illegal and women travel elsewhere to obtain a legal abortion.

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CHOICES Center for Reproductive Health is an independent, nonprofit reproductive and sexual health provider and was the first abortion clinic in Memphis, Tennessee.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nurse midwife</span>

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The SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective, also known as SisterSong, is a national activist organization dedicated to reproductive justice for women of color.

Abortion in Illinois is legal. Laws about abortion dated to the early 1800s in Illinois; the first criminal penalties related to abortion were imposed in 1827, and abortion itself became illegal in 1867. As hospitals set up barriers in the 1950s, the number of therapeutic abortions declined. Following Roe v. Wade in 1973, Illinois passed a number of restrictions on abortion, many of which have subsequently been repealed. Illinois updated its existing abortion laws in June 2019. The state has seen a decline in the number of abortion clinics over the years, going from 58 in 1982 to 47 in 1992 to 24 in 2014.

Abortion in Michigan is legal throughout all stages of pregnancy. A state constitutional amendment to explicitly guarantee abortion rights was placed on the ballot in 2022 as Michigan Proposal 22–3; it passed with 57 percent of the vote, adding the right to abortion and contraceptive use to the Michigan Constitution. The amendment largely prevents the regulation of abortion before fetal viability, unless said regulations are to protect the individual seeking an abortion, and it also makes it unconstitutional to make laws restricting abortions which would protect the life and health, physical and/or mental, of the pregnant individual seeking abortion.

Abortion in Maryland is legal up to the point of fetal viability and later when necessary to preserve the life or health of the pregnant person. The first laws regulating abortion in the state were passed in 1867 and 1868, banning abortion except by a physician to "secure the safety of the mother." Abortion providers continued to operate both within and outside of the law. Legal enforcement became more strict from the 1940s through 60s, with numerous police raids on abortion providers. In 1968, Maryland passed a liberalized abortion law that clarified the wording of the previous law, allowing abortion in hospital settings in cases of rape, severe fetal deformity, or when life and health were endangered.

Abortion in Wyoming is currently legal due to a temporary court injunction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Network of Abortion Funds</span> Organization dedicated to increasing access to abortion for low-income people across the U.S.

The National Network of Abortion Funds (NNAF) is a national social justice organization that aims to increase access to abortion for low-income people across the U.S.

References

  1. ↑ Markham-Cantor, Alice (2019-12-09). "Why Abortion Doulas Matter, Even When We're Just Showing Up". ISSN   0027-8378 . Retrieved 2022-07-10.
  2. 1 2 MacQueen, Augusta (2017-06-01). "I'm an Abortion Doula—Here's What I Do and See During a Typical Shift". Self . Retrieved 2022-07-09.
  3. 1 2 3 Onyenacho, Tracey (27 May 2021). "Abortion doulas help people navigate the process. They say their work was more crucial than ever in the pandemic". The Lily . Retrieved 2022-07-09.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Campoamor, Danielle (22 May 2019). "Abortion AMA: What Is An Abortion Doula?". Bustle . Retrieved 2022-07-09.
  5. ↑ Tebben, Susan (15 June 2022). "Cincinnati Abortion Doulas Will Continue Care, With or Without Roe v. Wade". Cincinnati CityBeat . Retrieved 2022-07-10.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Lindsey, Alyssa; Narasimhan, Subasri; Sayyad, Ayeesha; Turner, Daria; Mosley, Elizabeth A. (2023). ""I can be pro-abortion and pro-birth": Opportunities and challenges for full spectrum care among doulas in Georgia". Frontiers in Global Women's Health. 4. doi: 10.3389/fgwh.2023.966208 . ISSN   2673-5059. PMC   10014539 . PMID   36937040.
  7. 1 2 3 "Abortion Doulas Prepare for Increased Criminalization". nextcity.org. Retrieved 2022-06-29.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Iati, Marissa (11 May 2022). "Abortion doulas brace for increasingly fraught work if Roe falls". Washington Post . ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved 2022-07-09.
  9. 1 2 Hesse, Monica (2017-11-28). "The long five minutes: Abortion doulas bring comfort during a complicated time". Washington Post . ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved 2022-07-09.
  10. ↑ Brewer, Kirstie (2018-10-14). "I've been an 'abortion doula' 2,000 times". BBC News . Retrieved 2022-07-09.
  11. ↑ Chor, Julie; Lyman, Phoebe; Ruth, Jean; Patel, Ashlesha; Gilliam, Melissa (January 2018). "Integrating Doulas Into First-Trimester Abortion Care: Physician, Clinic Staff, and Doula Experiences". Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health . 63 (1): 53–57. doi:10.1111/jmwh.12676. PMID   29369513. S2CID   25984931 – via Wiley.
  12. ↑ Morin, Roc (2014-03-26). "On Being an Abortion Doula". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2022-07-10.
  13. 1 2 Briggs, Laura; Ginsburg, Faye; Gutiérrez, Elena R.; Petchesky, Rosalind; Rapp, Rayna; Smith, Andrea; Takeshita, Chikako (2013). "Roundtable: Reproductive Technologies and Reproductive Justice". Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies. 34 (3): 102–125. doi:10.5250/fronjwomestud.34.3.0102. ISSN   0160-9009. JSTOR   10.5250/fronjwomestud.34.3.0102. S2CID   142594235.
  14. ↑ Basmajian, Alyssa (2014). "Abortion Doulas: Changing the Narrative". Anthropology Now. 6 (2): 44–51. doi:10.1080/19492901.2014.11728432. ISSN   1942-8200. JSTOR   10.5816/anthropologynow.6.2.0044. S2CID   80163473.
  15. ↑ "Abortion Doulas Prepare for Increased Criminalization". nextcity.org. Retrieved 2022-06-29.
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