Medical education and abortion care: evaluating an interdisciplinary learning module in Germany.

BACKGROUND: In Germany, first-trimester abortions are legally restricted but allowed under certain conditions, including mandatory counseling and a reflection period. Accessibility concerns persist. To address gaps in medical training, we developed an interdisciplinary learning module on first-trimester abortion care. METHODS: We piloted the module in two sessions giving access to all medical students as an extracurricular learning opportunity. We conducted non-paired surveys across the medical school prior to the module and with our participants after the module to identify changes in attitudes as well as in intentions to treat. RESULTS: We received a total of 297 responses. Most of the students (94%) were in favor of legalizing abortion laws. However, only 30% self-assessed their knowledge as sufficient, 40% of the students showed the willingness to perform abortions within the consultation clause and 43% of the students agreed to consult patients on abortion provision but not perform them themselves. The right for practitioners to object the performance of abortions was highly agreed upon (78%). After our pilot sessions, we received 53 evaluation surveys from 118 participants. Students reported a significant increase in knowledge. We observed a significant increase in general support and intention to treat after our module. CONCLUSIONS: Teaching about abortion is essential for our future healthcare providers. Overall, we see a great response to our new learning module and can hope for practice-changing effects on the provision of abortion care in the future. We integrated the module into our regular teaching catalogue.