The option to look: patient-centred pregnancy tissue viewing at independent abortion clinics in the United States

Abortion providers’ approaches to patient-centred pregnancy tissue viewing (PCV) – when a patient requests to see their products of conception – is understudied in abortion care. This mixed-method study aimed to identify: (1) if, when, and how PCV is facilitated at US independent abortion clinics; (2) how staff are trained to offer viewing; and (3) provider experiences facilitating PCV. We surveyed administrators from 22 independent abortion clinics affiliated with the Abortion Care Network about their PCV practices and then completed in-depth semi-structured interviews with 25 providers to better understand their experiences facilitating PCV. Results indicate that most of the clinics that provide PCV do so by patient request. A variety of providers facilitate viewing, including counsellors, educators, physicians, nurses, and medical assistants. Timing, viewing location, and staff training vary by facility. Benefits of and barriers to PCV emerged through three themes: (1) patient-centred care; (2) misinformation about fetal tissue; and (3) personal navigations as providers. Providers and administrators report PCV aligns with their patient-centred clinic missions and offers patients opportunities for choice, closure, and access to information. Yet, anti-abortion misinformation about fetal tissue impacts the ways providers must navigate complex conversations about PCV professionally and personally. Clinic resources and concern about adverse patient reactions to identifiable fetal parts present barriers to offering viewing. Understanding providers’ experiences and approaches to PCV is an important first step to developing quality practices that can be shared across clinics. The findings of this study support the need for more research and training on PCV in abortion care.