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CONFERENCE PROCEEDING
Developing midwifery-led abortion training and care access
1
University of California San Francisco, Obstetrics- Gynecology- Reproductive Sciences, San Francisco, Other
Eur J Midwifery 2026;10(Supplement 1):A352
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE:
This presentation shares the development and launch of California’s Black Midwifery Fellowship—only the second of its kind in the United States, following the inaugural program led by Nikia Grayson in Memphis, Tennessee. Rooted in the historical legacy of Black midwives who provided abortion care prior to their systemic exclusion from the healthcare system, this fellowship is an effort to reclaim and restore their role as trusted abortion providers in their communities. In California, the program integrates comprehensive abortion training; including procedural, clinical, and values-based care into a year-long postgraduate fellowship for newly graduated and advanced Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs).
DISCUSSION:
As the lead designer, I implemented a four-phase rollout in collaboration with an interdisciplinary team: program design, pilot testing (supported by the Midwives of San Francisco General Hospital and the UCSF Watson Scholarship), clinical integration, and train-the-trainer preparation. Since 2024, the fellowship has been supported by California’s Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) and is part of the Reproductive Health Services Corps (RHSC)—a consortium of six organizations working to expand abortion and contraception education across the healthcare workforce. With more midwives trained, patients are able to receive holistic, continuous care from the same trusted providers—regardless of how their pregnancy ends.
EVIDENCE WHERE RELEVANT:
This model addresses long-standing gaps in abortion training and access while centering Black midwifery knowledge, reproductive justice, and person-centered care. Fellows build clinical confidence, develop procedural competence, and strengthen their leadership capacity. Success has been driven by institutional partnerships, community engagement, and training grounded in both academic and frontline settings.
KEY MESSAGE:
Midwifery-led abortion training is essential to expanding compassionate, culturally responsive care. This replicable collaborative process can equip midwives globally to lead full-spectrum reproductive care and supports ICM’s mission of midwifery autonomy and equitable access. SRHR - Abortion
This presentation shares the development and launch of California’s Black Midwifery Fellowship—only the second of its kind in the United States, following the inaugural program led by Nikia Grayson in Memphis, Tennessee. Rooted in the historical legacy of Black midwives who provided abortion care prior to their systemic exclusion from the healthcare system, this fellowship is an effort to reclaim and restore their role as trusted abortion providers in their communities. In California, the program integrates comprehensive abortion training; including procedural, clinical, and values-based care into a year-long postgraduate fellowship for newly graduated and advanced Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs).
DISCUSSION:
As the lead designer, I implemented a four-phase rollout in collaboration with an interdisciplinary team: program design, pilot testing (supported by the Midwives of San Francisco General Hospital and the UCSF Watson Scholarship), clinical integration, and train-the-trainer preparation. Since 2024, the fellowship has been supported by California’s Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) and is part of the Reproductive Health Services Corps (RHSC)—a consortium of six organizations working to expand abortion and contraception education across the healthcare workforce. With more midwives trained, patients are able to receive holistic, continuous care from the same trusted providers—regardless of how their pregnancy ends.
EVIDENCE WHERE RELEVANT:
This model addresses long-standing gaps in abortion training and access while centering Black midwifery knowledge, reproductive justice, and person-centered care. Fellows build clinical confidence, develop procedural competence, and strengthen their leadership capacity. Success has been driven by institutional partnerships, community engagement, and training grounded in both academic and frontline settings.
KEY MESSAGE:
Midwifery-led abortion training is essential to expanding compassionate, culturally responsive care. This replicable collaborative process can equip midwives globally to lead full-spectrum reproductive care and supports ICM’s mission of midwifery autonomy and equitable access. SRHR - Abortion
| eISSN: | 2585-2906 |
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