Hospitals Rarely Include Abortion Information on Their Websites
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 18, 2023 -- Hospitals rarely include abortion information on their websites, and those that do usually omit patient instructions for preprocedural or postprocedural care, according to a research letter published online Oct. 17 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Ari B. Friedman, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia, and colleagues examined the websites of U.S. hospitals to assess how often they offer information about abortion and its provision at their facilities compared to other common ambulatory procedures, including colonoscopy. A total of 222 hospitals were sampled.
The researchers found that 79.4 percent of patient-facing websites did not mention abortion compared with 11.1 percent for colonoscopy. The information was found a mean of 0.5 pages lower in the search engine results when hospitals did mention a procedure. Websites described offering abortion care 6.3 percent of the time and colonoscopy 85.6 percent of the time. Websites were at least 70 percent less likely to describe offering abortion than colonoscopy within subgroups defined by hospital size, profit orientation, and academic status. Among the websites offering abortion information, patient instructions for preprocedural or postprocedural care were omitted in 89.8 percent compared with 42.2 percent of websites offering colonoscopy.
"Our results suggest that hospitals and their health systems are not advertising abortion in a manner consistent with other outpatient procedures nor consistent with medical society statements that abortion is routine, essential health care," the authors write.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted October 2023
Read this next
Decrease in Oral Contraceptive Fills Seen After Dobbs Ruling
WEDNESDAY, June 26, 2024 -- The Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization decision, allowing states to strengthen restrictions on abortion access, was associated with declines...
Mail-Order Mifepristone Effective, Feasible for Medication Abortion
MONDAY, May 13, 2024 -- Mail-order pharmacy dispensing of mifepristone for medication abortion is effective, acceptable, and feasible, according to a study published online May 13...
Considerable Number of Abortion Seekers Accessed Services After Dobbs
MONDAY, March 25, 2024 -- Despite implementation of state-level bans and restrictions on abortion after the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.