Patient Care:

Since the Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs decision, abortion is banned in 14 states.  Illinois has since seen the greatest increase in pregnant people traveling from out of state for abortion of any US state. Here at the University of Chicago in the Section of Complex Family Planning, we provide high-quality and patient-centered reproductive healthcare, including abortion care, for pregnant people in our community, and from across the United States.

Many abortion bans have few or no exceptions for maternal or fetal health. At the University of Chicago, we are caring for the most medically complex patients. This care is essential for reducing maternal and infant mortality.

Many of the individuals and families that we serve at University of Chicago do not have access to abortion care in their home states, nor health insurance coverage when they travel to Illinois. Philanthropic support allows us to center patient autonomy and healthcare needs and takes cost out of the equation. Our patients rely on the Section of Complex Family Planning’s subsidized costs and clinical expertise in providing complex reproductive healthcare, including abortion, contraception and miscarriage care, regardless of cost. 

Education:

Dobbs has created significant training gaps among Obstetrics and Gynecology residency programs. In states where abortion is banned, trainees may lack exposure to lifesaving clinical skills. These training gaps have direct implications for the future of the maternal care workforce.

The Section of Complex Family Planning at the University of Chicago Medicine is proud to offer a Fellowship in Complex Family Planning, a two-year post-residency training program which provides advanced training in complex abortion, contraception and early pregnancy care, research and advocacy.

Our residents and medical students at the University of Chicago are trained across the spectrum of reproductive healthcare, including in abortion care. In response to the loss of training opportunities since Dobbs, our team has stepped up to offer these life-saving training opportunities to Ob-Gyn residents from states where abortion is banned. Philanthropy allows us to continue providing abortion training opportunities to our fellows, residents and medical students here at the University of Chicago and to learners from across the US.

Research:

Philanthropy supports the Section of Complex Family Planning’s broad vision aimed at reducing maternal morbidity and mortality nationally by expanding reproductive healthcare access, and by defining high-quality care.  Our research remains rooted in the unique post Dobbs policy-driven realities, inequities and the experiences of our patients. For more information on our research, please visit the Complex Family Planning Research Center’s website: https://cfp.center.uchicago.edu/

Philanthropic donations play a critical role in supporting patients, training, and research. Thank you for considering a gift. If you would like to learn more about specific opportunities to support these initiatives through philanthropy, please contact Audrey Carie, Senior Director for Individual Giving, at acarie@bsd.uchicago.edu or 773.702.8470.