title: Knowledge of state-level abortion laws and regulations among reproductive health care providers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the accuracy of knowledge of state-level abortion laws and regulations among clinicians who provide reproductive health care.
  
  
  METHODS
  Members of several reproductive health professional organizations completed a self-administered survey. Respondents were asked if laws and regulations were present in their state. Responses were graded according to the Guttmacher Institute's monthly publication State Policies in Brief: An Overview of Abortion Laws.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three hundred forty-one surveys were completed. Fifty-nine respondents met exclusion criteria and were excluded. Of the remaining 282, most (80.1%) were physicians, and over half (55.0%) reported currently providing abortion services. Most (86.5%) considered themselves to be informed about abortion laws and regulations in their state. Knowledge of laws and regulations involving spousal involvement, mandatory waiting periods, and availability of private insurance coverage was high (77.0%-86.2%). Receiving reminders of state abortion laws and regulations was associated with significantly more accurate knowledge of parental notification and spousal consent laws, mandatory waiting periods, and availability of Medicaid and private insurance coverage (all p < .05). Receiving reminders and being a provider of abortion services were independent predictors of better knowledge of state abortion laws and regulations among clinicians who provide reproductive health care.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clinicians who provide reproductive health care had highly accurate knowledge of some abortion laws and regulations, but less accurate knowledge of others. Reminders of laws and regulations may increase knowledge among clinicians. Given the importance of accurate information, evaluation of mechanisms to increase knowledge of abortion laws and regulations may be warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Laura E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Dodge
authors.forename: Sadia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Haider
authors.forename: Michele R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Hacker
mesh_terms: D000028:Abortion, Induced / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D033161:Government Regulation; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006282:Health Personnel; D006291:Health Policy; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D035622:Parental Notification / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D060728:Reproductive Health; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D020458:Third-Party Consent / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D014481:United States