SUMMARY POINTS

SKILL

• Continue building your knowledge base in all aspects of reproductive healthcare —including clinical care, new literature and evidence, patient advocacy, and telemedicine and self-managed medication abortion options.
• Obtain clinical experience during or after professional training. Becoming a provider increases access!
• Consider that equity in provider training includes prioritizing providers of racial, ethnic, and gender diverse backgrounds.
• Utilize additional training and mentorship opportunities (e.g., reproductive rights and justice) to center the desires and autonomy of historically marginalized communities (e.g., BIPOC, people with disabilities, LGBTQ) in your practice.

SAFETY

• Build relationships and consult with other reproductive health providers.
• Know when to refer for medical conditions that preclude self-managed, telemedicine, or outpatient care.
• Make arrangements for hospital back up that you may occasionally need.
• Consider personal security precautions as an abortion provider, including digital and online security.

ROLE

• Understand and apply the tenets of reproductive justice to patient care. Become a leader, advocate, and mentor in the reproductive rights and justice movements.
• Consider the power of storytelling (with patient permission) in advocacy efforts.
• Use established local and national networks to build a collaborative community, find answers to medical and administrative questions, and learn best practices.
• Value your impact as a provider of pregnancy evidence-based and patient-centered options counseling, contraceptive information, and reproductive health services.
• Overcome commonly reported barriers, including lack of authority to implement services, liability coverage, and staff resistance, by building relationships with key stakeholders and involving staff early in the process.
• Be patient and persistent as the process of integrating care may take time.