Many barriers are preventing uptake of medical abortion provision, including “conscientious objection”

Annika Howells
Issue 25 / 30 June 2025

Access to safe and affordable abortion is essential health care and a human right. … However, medical abortion is still not widely available in primary care, and geographic and financial barriers remain.
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Navigating conscientious objection

The review found that individual conscientious objection continues to be a barrier to the provision of medical abortion.

“Colleagues who conscientiously object to abortion care greatly limit its provision and clinical training,” the authors wrote.

“In such cases, the service (including the dispensing of MS-2 Step) is not offered, care is delayed, or providers must offer care clandestinely.”

There is also concern that legal clauses that permit conscientious objection are used without adequate justification and without fulfilling professional obligations of continuity of care.

“The challenges posed by conscientious objection must prompt consideration of laws that protect the right to decline involvement in pregnancy termination, which allow practitioners to avoid their professional duty to provide essential reproductive health care,” the authors wrote.

The authors note that values clarification workshops could improve providers’ awareness of their professional duties in abortion care.

“These workshops foster supportive attitudes and reduce active opposition among providers with diverse beliefs and in different contexts,” the authors wrote.

Continued at Insight+