The Effect of Dobbs on Management of Pregnancy of Unknown Location and Perceived Patient Experience According to Wisconsin Obstetrician–Gynecologists: A Pilot Survey Study [ID 1172]

INTRODUCTION: The Dobbs decision put into effect a near-total abortion ban in Wisconsin. Our study assesses whether Dobbs changed clinical management and perceived patient experience of pregnancies of unknown location (PULs) among Wisconsin obstetrician–gynecologists. METHODS: We conducted a Qualtrics survey between September 2023 and January 2024 using a convenience sample of Wisconsin obstetrician–gynecologists who manage PUL. Participants eligible for the study had completed obstetrics and gynecology residency, practiced in Wisconsin prior to and after Dobbs , and managed PUL. We excluded participants who completed the survey after December 2023, when some abortion access returned to Wisconsin. Survey items included demographic information and perceptions of changes in patient experience of PUL management after Dobbs . We report descriptive statistics and used Kruskal–Wallis and Fisher’s exact tests to compare distributions or groups. RESULTS: Our final analytic sample was N=38. The majority of participants were White (87%), female (79%), and did not identify as an abortion provider prior to Dobbs (58%). Nearly half (47%) reported changing their management of PUL after Dobbs , although modal frequency of PUL management pre/post- Dobbs did not change. The majority of respondents thought patient autonomy (87%) and satisfaction (82%) decreased, and stigma (68%) and diagnostic testing (66%) increased after Dobbs ; differences by whether participants provided abortions pre- Dobbs were not significant. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS: A state abortion ban changed the way Wisconsin obstetrician–gynecologists managed PUL. These study findings contribute to an evidence base illustrating how abortion bans lead to changes in clinical management and perceived patient experience of complications in early pregnancy.