# What Kind Of Doctors Perform Abortions **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 6, 2007, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-doctors-perform-abortions/418312 "2007-09-06T23:59:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Green\_Cymbeline](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_cymbeline/32/9244_2.png) [@Green\_Cymbeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Cymbeline)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2007, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-doctors-perform-abortions/418312/21 "2007-09-07T18:45:57Z")
A friend from college had an early abortion done by a nurse practitioner who worked for the university health center. It’s a shame it’s not easier for medical professionals to get this training. From what I have observed, abortion is a common and highly sought-after procedure. It is also quick and simple for very early abortions, and can be performed in-office (the procedure itself only lasts 5-10 minutes, and the total office visit time is perhaps 2 hours (including urine/blood test, ultrasound to determine gestational age, and recovery). And a woman can usually be back at work the next day. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2007, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-doctors-perform-abortions/418312/22 "2007-09-07T22:13:31Z")
[QUOTE=brossa] No. This is not the sort of thing that you would allow a med student to do. Med students learn how to put in IVs, suture simple lacerations, and maybe catch a baby if they are lucky. [/QUOTE] That’s one suck-ass med school you describe. Where’d you go, Harvard? 😉 In my med school training, I tapped joints, abdomens, pleural effusions, caught over a dozen babies, did lumbar punctures, and first-assisted in dozens of surgical procedures. All supervised of course. But the emphasis was on the med student getting _lots_ of hands-on experience. Over in the gyn clinic, one of my fellow students was tasked with examining the results of therapeutic abortions, to ensure that the products of conception had been fully removed. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2007, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-doctors-perform-abortions/418312/23 "2007-09-08T15:07:32Z")
A quote from the [Abortion Facts](http://www.abortionfacts.com/online_books/love_them_both/why_cant_we_love_them_both_38.asp) website > [@](#): > > Who does the procedure? Never call him/her a doctor. They don’t deserve the dignity that “Doctor” calls forth. Also, don’t use “surgeon.” Call them “abortionists.” Never deviate from that title. The word “abortionist” is one of condemnation, of criminality, of killing. That is the label they deserve. ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2007, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-doctors-perform-abortions/418312/24 "2007-09-08T16:03:37Z")
[QUOTE=Annie-Xmas] A quote from the [Abortion Facts](http://www.abortionfacts.com/online_books/love_them_both/why_cant_we_love_them_both_38.asp) website [/QUOTE] Does it mention what they should call women who have had an abortion? Also “abortionist”? Or maybe abortion-facilitator? Abortion-solicitor? I want a cool, demonized name, too. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2007, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-doctors-perform-abortions/418312/25 "2007-09-08T16:03:50Z")
[QUOTE=Annie-Xmas] A quote from the [Abortion Facts](http://www.abortionfacts.com/online_books/love_them_both/why_cant_we_love_them_both_38.asp) website [/QUOTE] Yeah, well… They feel the same way about me for having provided “morning after” pills and doing IUDs for my patients. So you’ll have to pardon me if I don’t give your cite much credence. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2007, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-doctors-perform-abortions/418312/26 "2007-09-08T16:15:59Z")
[QUOTE=Qadgop the Mercotan] Yeah, well… They feel the same way about me for having provided “morning after” pills and doing IUDs for my patients. So you’ll have to pardon me if I don’t give your cite much credence. [/QUOTE] **Qadgop** , I could be mistaken, but I don’t think the poster was endorsing that website or its position. He was just pointing out the use of “abortionist” as a rhetorical term employed by anti-abortion groups. And for that limited purpose, it’s a perfectly fine cite. The fact an anti-abortion website favors the term “abortionist” suggests that other, similar groups may as well. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2007, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-doctors-perform-abortions/418312/27 "2007-09-08T16:19:37Z")
[QUOTE=Mr. Excellent] **Qadgop** , I could be mistaken, but I don’t think the poster was endorsing that website or its position. He was just pointing out the use of “abortionist” as a rhetorical term employed by anti-abortion groups. And for that limited purpose, it’s a perfectly fine cite. The fact an anti-abortion website favors the term “abortionist” suggests that other, similar groups may as well. [/QUOTE] She, and yes, I was pointing out that only anti-abortion groups use the word “abortionist.” That website also states that using the word “anti-abortion” is wrong because it’s a negative term. Well, honey, if the negative term fits, it is appropriate to use. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2007, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-doctors-perform-abortions/418312/28 "2007-09-08T16:35:14Z")
That’s what happens when I fail to keep up with the thread currents. Thanks for the clarification. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-doctors-perform-abortions/418312.md?page=1)