‘…a one stop shop in their own community’: Medical abortion and the role of general practice

Abstract

Background: The introduction to Australia of modern medical abortion methods, which require less specialist expertise and equipment than the more traditional surgical methods, have brought an as yet unrealised potential to improve access to abortion services. Aims: To investigate the potential for expanding the role of general practice in the provision of medical abortion in Victoria. Materials and methods: In 2015, in-depth interviews were conducted with 19 experts in abortion service provision in Victoria. A semi-structured interview schedule was used to guide the interviews. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and transcripts analysed thematically. Results: Participants were largely very..