Abortion Care Curriculum Workshop – Summary

The APAOG Abortion Care Curriculum Workshop provides comprehensive, evidence-based education on abortion as a core component of reproductive and gynecologic healthcare. Designed for Physician Associate (PA) students, advanced practice clinicians, and faculty educators, the workshop addresses foundational clinical knowledge, patient-centered counseling, and systems-based considerations related to abortion care across diverse practice settings.

Through a combination of didactic instruction, clinical case studies, and skills-based learning, participants review medication and procedural abortion options, eligibility criteria, contraindications, complication management, and post-abortion care. Emphasis is placed on trauma-informed, nonjudgmental communication, shared decision-making, and the integration of current clinical guidelines. The curriculum also addresses early pregnancy loss, pregnancy of unknown location, and common clinical scenarios encountered in primary care, emergency medicine, and obstetrics-gynecology.

Recognizing variability in clinical exposure and the evolving legal landscape, the workshop provides practical guidance on navigating access to care, referral pathways, and professional responsibilities in the post-Dobbs environment. Educational materials are designed to be adaptable for PA programs, faculty-led workshops, simulation labs, and asynchronous learning platforms.

This curriculum supports ARC-PA competency domains including medical knowledge, patient care, communication skills, professionalism, and systems-based practice, and serves as a standardized educational resource for programs seeking to ensure comprehensive women’s health training regardless of regional or institutional limitations.

Abortion Care Module

Module Title: Abortion Care: Clinical Foundations, Counseling, and Access

Hosting Organization: Association of Physician Associates in Obstetrics & Gynecology (APAOG)

Authors: Erika Bramlette, Alexi Child, and Reesa Roberts

License: Creative Commons CC BY-NC 4.0

Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module, learners will be able to:

  1. Describe the indications, contraindications, mechanisms of action, and efficacy of medication and procedural abortion.
  2. Identify appropriate candidates for medication abortion, including telehealth eligibility criteria.
  3. Counsel patients using patient-centered, trauma-informed, and nonjudgmental language.
  4. Recognize and manage common complications of spontaneous and induced abortion.
  5. Apply current evidence-based guidelines regarding Rh testing, follow-up care, and contraception after abortion.
  6. Discuss the impact of state laws and post-Dobbs restrictions on abortion access and clinical decision-making.

Purpose

This Faculty Guide is part of the APAOG Abortion Care Toolkit, developed to support standardized, evidence-based abortion education for Physician Associate (PA) programs and advanced practice clinicians nationwide.

Abortion is a core component of reproductive and gynecologic healthcare; however, clinical exposure during training remains inconsistent due to legal restrictions, institutional limitations, and regional variability. This toolkit provides a portable, adaptable educational framework that allows programs to meet women’s health, ethics, and clinical reasoning competencies even when hands-on abortion care experiences are limited.

The APAOG Abortion Care Toolkit is designed to:

  • Normalize abortion as routine healthcare
  • Reduce stigma through accurate education
  • Support PA faculty teaching sensitive content
  • Promote patient-centered, trauma-informed counseling
  • Address the realities of abortion care in the post-Dobbs landscape

Toolkit Overview

Abortion Care Lecture

The core lecture may be delivered live or asynchronously and reviews:

  • Definitions and terminology related to abortion and early pregnancy loss
  • Medication abortion regimens (mifepristone + misoprostol; misoprostol-only)
  • Procedural abortion techniques (MVA, EVA, D&E)
  • Eligibility criteria, contraindications, and efficacy
  • Management of pregnancy of unknown location and ectopic pregnancy
  • Complications and post-abortion care
  • Legal and ethical considerations in the post-Dobbs landscape

Faculty may adapt slides to reflect state-specific laws and institutional policies. 

Case-Based Learning

Clinical case studies are provided to reinforce key learning objectives. Cases address:

  • Telehealth medication abortion eligibility
  • Ectopic pregnancy risk and pregnancy of unknown location
  • Anticoagulation and abortion method selection
  • Incomplete abortion management
  • Rh testing and updated guidelines
  • Trauma-informed counseling
  • Legal and access barriers

Cases may be completed:

  • Individually
  • In small groups
  • As graded assignments or formative discussions

Answer keys and teaching points are provided for faculty facilitation.


Teaching Format Options

Programs may choose one or more of the following formats:

  • 1–2 hour live lecture with facilitated discussion
  • Flipped classroom (pre-recorded lecture + in-class cases)
  • Small-group breakout sessions
  • OSCE-style counseling simulations
  • Asynchronous online module (e.g., LMS or Kajabi)
Materials Needed
Required:
  • Abortion Care PowerPoint slides
  • Faculty Guide
  • Case study handouts (student and faculty versions)
  • Access to current abortion guidelines (ACOG, NAF, WHO)

Recommended:

  • Whiteboard or shared screen for discussion
  • State-specific abortion law summary
  • Patient counseling scripts or OSCE checklists

Assessment

Programs may assess learner competency using:

  • Case study written responses
  • Multiple-choice or short-answer quizzes
  • OSCE counseling encounters
  • Reflection papers addressing ethics, access, or stigma
  • Participation-based competency sign-off

Assessment methods should align with program-level learning outcomes and accreditation requirements.


Files Included in the Module

 

Use, Modifications, and Sharing

This toolkit is hosted by the Association of Physician Associates in Obstetrics & Gynecology (APAOG) and is licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC 4.0.

Faculty may:

  • Use the materials for educational purposes
  • Modify content to reflect state laws, institutional policies, and learner level
  • Integrate materials into PA curricula, CME activities, or APAOG-sponsored programming

Materials may not be used for commercial purposes. When sharing or adapting the toolkit, please credit APAOG and the original contributors and direct colleagues to the APAOG resource repository.

Disclaimer

The APAOG Abortion Care Toolkit is intended for educational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice or replace institutional policies or clinical judgment. Abortion laws vary by state and are subject to change; faculty are responsible for ensuring content reflects current regulations applicable to their learners’ practice settings.

Feedback

Thank you for downloading this curriculum. Faculty feedback is welcomed to support the ongoing improvement of abortion education for Physician Associates and advanced practice clinicians.

Contact: APAOG@badgerbay.co


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