How Abortionists Work

An abortionist is a person who ends a pregnancy when a patient requests their services. Abortion is illegal in many parts of the world, so most abortionists work illegally. Furthermore, not every abortionist is a doctor or has a medical background. This leads to abortion-related injuries, infections, and occasionally the death of the pregnant patient. Doctors may sometimes perform an abortion as a medical intervention. This is the case if there is a problem with pregnancy or to save a mother's life.

Most states in the U.S. require that only a licensed physician performs an abortion procedure. Some states may also require extra qualifications for all abortion providers, such as hospital admitting privileges, advanced training and experience, and an OB/GYN certification. To boost the availability of trained abortionists, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists supports education for health care students and clinical training for residents and clinicians in abortion care.

The National Abortion Federation's website lists all U.S. licensed abortion professionals; these doctors listed must undergo special training to make the list. Abortion is legal in all U.S. states, but restrictions may vary depending on local state laws.

Real-World Example of An Abortionist

Since abortions became legal in all U.S. states, there's been an increase in abortion clinics in the country. An abortionist is licensed to carry out abortion procedures after undergoing a series of training related to a patients' health. An example of a well-known abortionist is Amy Hagstrom Miller, the owner of an abortion clinic called Whole Woman's Health in Austin. Amy Hagstrom Miller became famous after winning an abortion rights case in the supreme court.

Licensed abortionists like Amy Hagstrom provide abortion services and post-abortion care to women. This means that untrained medical practitioners in the area of abortion care or those who are not certified OB/GYN's will not get a valid license to carry out an abortion. From this example, you see that while an abortionist can work in a hospital, they can also work in abortion clinics.

A legitimate abortionist will likely offer a pregnant person several options for an abortion. This way, they may choose which method they are most comfortable with, considering pain level and other factors related to each technique. An abortionist will let you know if you need anything else to prepare for an abortion. And will treat you following the procedure.

Abortionist vs. Gynecologist

A gynecologist is a medical practitioner that specializes in women's health. They examine a woman's pelvic area and genitalia and can identify any health problems they may have. A gynecologist/obstetrician may or may not suggest aborting a pregnancy if it poses any patient risks. Still, they are not necessarily trained to be an abortionist, but many in the U.S. are.

An abortionist, on the other hand, only terminates pregnancies and is not necessarily trained as a doctor. Doctors or gynecologists know the safest ways to perform an abortion. Abortionists without medical training do not.