Medical care providers are one of the largest sources of mandated reports of children, and in particular newborns, to the child welfare system, spurring a series of legal interventions that often result in unnecessary and harmful surveillance and family separation. These practices are not evidence based interventions, and tellingly, are largely targeted towards Black, Indigenous, Latine, and low income communities living on the margins of society. The practice of mandatory reporting has racist, classist, and xenophobic origins, and it continues to have a disparate impact on families who are already experiencing discrimination within the medical and educational systems. Despite these realities, the medical professionals who advocate for reproductive health, rights and justice are only now, 50+ years after the nationwide expansion of mandated reporting, beginning to discuss and tackle this reproductive injustice. Understanding the history of mandatory reporting will help attendees put the realities of the present-day family policing system into context. Attendees will learn about the social and legal impact of mandatory reporting today from attorneys and a parent educator directly impacted by the system. The presenters will also share case studies of resistance strategies being undertaken by medical professionals who are trying to mount challenges to the deeply entrenched practice of mandated reporting. Attendees will walk away with a firm understanding of 1. The historical and present day realities of mandated reporting 2. The legal requirements and how these have been misconstrued by medical systems across the country 3. Resistance strategies that medical professionals can engage in today.

While Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPCs) largely outnumber legitimate abortion clinics in the United States, public awareness of their prevalence and operational tactics remains almost nonexistent. This session explores how these non-medical organizations strategically occupy healthcare deserts, weaponizing geographic isolation alongside patients’ low economic status to intercept individuals seeking abortion care. By advertising “free” services, such as pregnancy testing and ultrasounds, CPCs explicitly target financially vulnerable individuals. Once inside, these centers utilize medical mimicry to give a false impression of authority. This presentation analyzes the deceptive tactics utilized by CPCs and how they directly violate patient autonomy, eliminate the possibility of informed consent, and perpetuate systemic harms that fall disproportionately on marginalized populations. This session provides future medical professionals with the essential insights needed to recognize these “fake clinics,” dismantle institutional misinformation, and protect the integrity of person-centered, trauma-informed options counseling.

Self-management of abortion (SMA) with medications is increasingly practiced in the USA, as a preferred method or as the only available option for those with an unwanted pregnancy who cannot travel to a “brick and mortar” facility. This session will share information on how people are sourcing misoprostol, with or without mifepristone, the ecosystem of legal, emotional, and medical information hotlines that offer support, and the use of abortion pills after 12 weeks. The goal of the session is to highlight the critical role of informed, patient-centered communication, evidence-based clinical management, and documentation practices that do not require disclosure of self-management within this growing ecosystem.

This lecture explores the complex and often troubling history of women’s reproductive health, focusing on two pivotal figures: Dr. J. Marion Sims and Margaret Sanger. Known as the “father of modern gynecology,” Sims conducted experimental surgeries on enslaved Black women—Anarcha , Lucy, and Betsey—without consent or anesthesia, raising profound ethical concerns about exploitation in medical practice. In contrast, Margaret Sanger, a key advocate for birth control and women’s reproductive rights, founded Planned Parenthood but also espoused controversial views, including eugenics. Together, these figures represent the intersection of race, gender, and medical advancement, highlighting the enduring impact of historical injustices on Black women’s trust in healthcare. Through this examination, we aim to foster a deeper understanding of how the legacies of Sims and Sanger continue to shape reproductive justice discussions today, emphasizing the need for culturally competent care and the rebuilding of trust in medical systems. Join us as we navigate this critical dialogue and work towards a more equitable future in reproductive health.

Medication abortion is safe, effective and the most common type of abortion care taking place in the U.S. Since 2020 medication abortion care provided via telehealth aka telemab has been on the rise. Telemab is available to people in all 50 states and provides critical access to many people including to those in rural areas or those experiencing intimate partner violence. However, there remain many misconceptions about telehealth provision of care with characterizations that it is less safe, less personalized and less supported than in-person care. This session will review the evidence surrounding the safety and satisfaction of telemab, as well as how telemab is person-centered and supported. Hear from a telemab provider whose mission is to provide supported care to all who need it and the operational and person-centered strategies they use to provide this care to people in all 50 states.

Shield laws are important tools used to bridge gaps in access to care for individuals living in health care deserts for reproductive and gender-affirming care. These laws seek to minimize legal risk to patients, health care providers and those who assist people seeking certain types of legally protected health care. In many states, these laws have allowed for care to continue via telehealth, when care would have otherwise been completely restricted. However, shield laws have come under increasing attack. These threats have not been limited solely to legal proceedings against abortion and gender-affirming care providers, but also include attacks related to data privacy and security. As threats to both abortion and gender-affirming care escalate, shield laws have increasingly been amended to improve access to care, and new, innovative approaches hold promise for greater protections. This session will provide attendees with a brief overview of shield law variation throughout the country, as well as recent changes to shield laws. It will then provide an overview of the gaps in care that are being addressed in part through shield laws for those living in health care deserts for reproductive and gender-affirming care. The presentation will then discuss pending threats to shield laws and how these factors weigh into attendees’ advocacy around shield laws as medical students. Lastly, attendees will have the opportunity for Q&A to better understand the current shield law landscape and growing attacks.

When laws restrict abortion based on gestational age, low-income, young, and rural people are disproportionately impacted. This panel will include an overview of why later abortion care is needed, why providers choose to provide this care, current initiatives to expand access to later abortion, and some of the barriers to this care.

Abortion access in the United States is increasingly shaped not only by restrictions on care but also by the threat of punishment. For Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities, abortion criminalization intersects with immigration enforcement, cultural stigma, language barriers, and gaps in culturally competent care. Yet AAPI voices remain largely absent from mainstream abortion discourse and medical education. Drawing from NAPAWF’s national mixed-methods research report Beyond the Labels, this session will share findings from focus groups and a nationwide survey of more than 1,400 AAPI women exploring attitudes toward abortion, criminalization, and reproductive healthcare. The research finds that AAPI women overwhelmingly view abortion as part of the broader continuum of health care and strongly reject punitive approaches to pregnancy outcomes, emphasizing dignity, safety, and personal decision-making. Session participants will explore how criminalization shapes patient behavior and health outcomes, including fear of legal consequences, immigration concerns, and barriers to accessing culturally and linguistically appropriate information. The session will also highlight how stigma, family expectations, and community dynamics influence abortion conversations and care-seeking among AAPI patients. Designed for medical students and residents preparing to provide abortion care, this session will offer practical guidance on culturally responsive counseling, recognizing criminalization-related fears in clinical settings, and building trust with patients navigating intersecting legal and social risks.

This interactive workshop will introduce participants to the core principles and practical skills of pregnancy options counseling through brief teaching, case discussion, and role-play. Attendees will practice patient-centered, trauma-informed, nonjudgmental conversations that support autonomy, respond to emotion and uncertainty, and clearly discuss parenting, abortion, and adoption in a compassionate and clinically grounded way. Designed for medical students and other trainees, the session will focus on building confidence, communication skills, and comfort with real-world counseling scenarios.

Reproductive healthcare deserts exist for many reasons: long distances, tenuous access to online medication abortion, required in-person visits, limited provider resources, and lack of comprehensive curriculum. But no matter where you live, advocacy is a tool that medical students can wield to improve patient and student experiences in healthcare deserts. This interactive session with live brainstorming and audience engagement will share advocacy strategies using social media, collaborations with allied groups, institutional policy reform, and political influence. We’ll share specific MSFC chapter success stories to illustrate the diversity and adaptability of these approaches. And we’ll outline safety guidelines for your in-person, online, and career related concerns. Participants will leave with a clear sense of next steps and resources for engaging in advocacy at a local level. If you want to use your voice to advocate for increased access to reproductive healthcare, this is the session for you!

During this session students will “eavesdrop” on a simulated session on the M+A Hotline. The hotline has been providing medical, logistical, and emotional support while helping folks seeking and experiencing self-managed abortion to find referrals to financial, legal and further emotional support needs. We will ask the attendees to brainstorm questions to ask after hearing the issue the abortion caller is concerned about. Once those questions are listed, we will ask the attendees to brainstorm answers, paying attention to the differences in remote care from volunteer clinicians vs the usual care given in person. What makes it easier? What makes it harder? How do we answer in order to both give information yet not actually give direct medical advice?

Narrative medicine is a vessel for noticing, feeling, and reflecting. In this session we will read poetry and prose about abortion from the perspectives of patients, trainees, and clinicians. Example readings include: “the lost baby poem” by Lucille Clifton, “Second Trimester Abortion Provision: Breaking the Silence and Changing the Discourse” by Dr. Lisa Harris, “The Promise” by Tara Betts, and “Abortion Isn’t Beautiful” by Nicole Walker. These passages will then serve as prompts for short writing exercises and discussion intended to help medical trainees engage honestly with the complexity of abortion care.

This breakout session takes a practical look at abortion training in ob-gyn and family medicine residencies. Speakers will walk through what training looks like across both specialties, explore the range of ways graduates incorporate abortion care and advocacy into their practice, and offer concrete advice for applicants weighing these factors when evaluating programs and building their match lists. The session will close with audience Q&A.

Join abortion providers in restrictive states as they share their stories in an informal dialogue. Hear why they chose to provide abortion as part of their practice; where they practice; what they find meaningful and rewarding about their work; what is challenging about their work; and if they have been harassed or targeted by anti-choice groups/individuals and how they deal with it.

Join telehealth and shield law state abortion providers as they share their stories in an informal dialogue. Hear why they chose to provide abortion as part of their practice; where they practice; what they find meaningful and rewarding about their work; what is challenging about their work; and if they have been harassed or targeted by anti-choice groups/individuals and how they deal with it.

Join traveling abortion providers as they share their stories in an informal dialogue. Hear why they chose to provide abortion as part of their practice; where they practice; what they find meaningful and rewarding about their work; what is challenging about their work; and if they have been harassed or targeted by anti-choice groups/individuals and how they deal with it.