Shared Decisions, Safe Choices: Complex Cases in Medication Abortion

Meet a diverse collection of patients, similar to those who you may encounter in your practice. Expand and apply your skills and knowledge related to medication abortion, both in the exam room and through telehealth.

Four cases focus on key considerations that impact the decision to prescribe medication for abortion, and how to manage common questions, concerns or complications that may arise. These cases were developed by CAFP’s Reproductive Health Faculty Advisory Panel and highlight real-world scenarios faced by family physicians who choose to integrate medication abortion care into their practice. To learn more about the other CME activities they have developed, or CAFP’s Reproductive Health Initiative, go to familydocs.org/rhi.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this session, learners should be able to:

  • Evaluate common considerations and contraindications for safely prescribing mifepristone and misoprostol.
  • Identify unique considerations for managing medication abortions via telehealth as compared to in a healthcare setting.
  • Apply effective decision-making strategies to triage concerns or complications that can arise during the management of medication abortions.
  • Demonstrate person-centered communication strategies in the provision of medication abortion.

Target Audience:

This activity is designed for family medicine physicians, and other primary care team members.

Participation and Credit:

Learners must register to participate in and receive credit for this online educational activity. Read the target audience, learning objectives, and author disclosures. Study the educational content online and complete all aspects of the activity, including the activity evaluation. Your certificate will be available to you as a downloadable link. You may print the certificate, but you may not alter it. For information on applicability and acceptance of continuing education credit for this activity, please consult your professional licensing board. 

Unlabeled Use Disclosure:

This activity may include discussions of products or devices that are not currently approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the curriculum clearly indicates this fact.

Support:

This activity is supported by the California Academy of Family Physicians and funded by the California Department of Public Health. The contents may not necessarily reflect the official views or policies of the State of California.

Fee:

There is no charge for this activity.

Cultural/Linguistic Competency:

CAFP policy and California state law requires that each learning activity have elements of cultural and linguistic proficiency included in the content. The definition of cultural and linguistic competency is the ability and readiness of health care providers and health organizations to humbly and respectfully demonstrate, effectively communicate, and tailor delivery of care to patients with diverse values, beliefs, identities, and behaviors, in order to meet patients’ social, cultural, and linguistic needs as it relates to patient health. This activity meets these requirements.

Implicit Bias:

CAFP policy and California state law requires that all CME activities comprising a patient care element include either (1) examples of how implicit bias affects perceptions and treatment decisions of physicians and surgeons, leading to disparities in health outcomes and/or (2) strategies to address how unintended biases in decision-making may contribute to health care disparities by shaping behavior and producing differences in medical treatment along lines of race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, or other characteristics. This activity meets these requirements.

Privacy Policy:

The California Academy of Family Physicians (CAFP) is committed to protecting the privacy of its members and customers. CAFP maintains safeguards to store and secure information it has about members and customers. The safeguards may be physical, electronic or procedural. For more information, contact [email protected].

Questions:

For questions regarding the content of this activity or for technical assistance, contact [email protected].

The CAFP has made all reasonable efforts to ensure that information contained herein is accurate in accordance with the latest available scientific knowledge at the time of accreditation of this continuing education program. Information regarding drugs (e.g., their administration, dosages, contraindications, adverse reactions, interactions, special warnings, and precautions) and drug delivery systems is subject to change, however, and the learner is advised to check the manufacturer's package insert for information concerning recommended dosage and potential problems or cautions prior to dispensing or administering the drug or using the drug delivery systems.

Approval of credit for this continuing education program does not imply endorsement by CAFP of any product or manufacturer identified.

Any medications or treatment methods suggested in this CME activity should not be used by the practitioner without evaluation of their patient's condition(s) and possible contraindication(s) or danger(s) of use of any specific medication.

Copyright:

© 2025 California Academy of Family Physicians. No part of this activity may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embedded in articles or reviews.

Course summary
Available credit: 
  • 1.00 AAFP Prescribed
Course opens: 
10/10/2025
Course expires: 
09/30/2026
Rating: 
0

Dr. Sheila AttaieSheila Attaie, DO

Dr. Sheila Attaie (she/her) is an Iranian-American family physician from the Sacramento area.  She is an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at University of California, Davis. She is also a contract provider with Lilith Clinic and Planned Parenthood Great Plains, as well as a volunteer for the M+A hotline. Her interests in medicine include abortion liberation, refugee and immigrant health, and mental health. Outside of medicine, she fills her cup with hiking, snowboarding, dancing, DJing, and international travel!

Disclosure: Dr. Attaie has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.

Shannon Connolly, MD, FAAFPShannon Connolly, MD, FAAFP

Dr Shannon Connolly (she/her) completed medical school at the University of Southern California and residency in family medicine at UCLA. She is currently the Associate Medical Director at Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties, where she oversees primary care and behavioral health care. She has served as president of the California Academy of Family Physicians and is currently Chair of the Committee on Justice through Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion for the CAFP. Additionally, she sits on the Commission for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Family Medicine for the American Academy of Family Physicians. Her clinical interests include abortion and family planning, gender affirming care, and health equity.

Disclosure: Dr. Connolly has no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

C. Peony Khoo, MD, FAAFPC. Peony Khoo, MD, FAAFP

Dr. Khoo (she/her) is a family physician in downtown Los Angeles. She serves as the Associate Program Director at the California Hospital Medical Center Family Medicine Residency Program where she provides full-spectrum family medicine care, including surgical obstetrics. She is also a Supervising Physician at Planned Parenthood Pasadena and San Gabriel Valley. She serves in leadership positions in family medicine in local, state, and national committees. Her clinical interests include reproductive health, obstetrics, addiction medicine, and lactation/breastfeeding medicine.

Disclosure: Dr. Khoo has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.

Amy Tressan, MDAmy Tressan, MD

Dr. Tressan (she/her) completed medical school at Thomas Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia and residency in family medicine at UCLA. She then completed her medical training with a family planning fellowship with the Reproductive Health Access Project in Boston. She is currently the Clinical Manager of Surgical and Specialty Services at Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties, where she practices comprehensive primary care.  Her areas of clinical interest include diversity and equity within healthcare delivery, trauma informed care, abortion access, and gender affirming care. Outside of work, Dr. Tressan is involved in several professional organizations which focus on advocacy for access to family planning services.

Disclosure: Dr. Tressan has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.

Aisha Wagner, MD

Dr. Wagner completed medical school at the Keck School of Medicine and residency at University of California, San Francisco. She then went on to do a fellowship in Reproductive Health and Advocacy in New York through the Reproductive Health Access Project, as well as a fellowship with Physicians for Reproductive Health. Dr. Wagner currently works providing primary care at an FQHC, as a contract provider for Planned Parenthood Los Angeles, fellowship director for TEACH (Training in Early Abortion for Comprehensive Healthcare), and recently as the co-Chief Medical Officer for Choix Health, a telehealth platform offering MAB.

She has created and collaborated on reproductive health, reproductive rights, and reproductive justice advocacy projects, taught women’s health procedures (including abortion) to medical students, residents, nurse practitioners, and other medical professionals. She has also spoken as an expert on contraception and abortion care with media, state representatives, on panels, and as an invited Grand Rounds speaker. In her free time (which is very limited these days) she enjoys buying ridiculous numbers of plants.

Disclosure: Dr. Wagner has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.

Conflict of Interest Statements

The Committee on Continuing Professional Development and CME will be responsible for mitigating any relevant financial relationships disclosed by an individual who may have influence on content, who have served as faculty, or who may produce CME/CPD content for the CAFP. Mitigation may include learner notification, peer review of content before presentation, requirement of EB-CME, changing topics, or even dismissing a potential faculty member.

It is the policy of the CAFP to ensure independence, balance, objectivity, scientific rigor, and integrity in all continuing education activities. All individuals with potential to influence the content of this program have submitted Disclosure of Interest declarations that have been reviewed according to policy. Learner notification of declarations is below. All individuals with relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies have been contacted by CAFP staff or CCPD members, and issues of conflict have been discussed and mitigated.

CME Planners

The following planners have no financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose: Laurie Isenberg, MA, MILS, CHCP, and Brittany Perrotte, MPH.

1.00 AAFP Prescribed Credit

The AAFP has reviewed the enduring activity, Shared Decisions, Safe Choices: Complex Cases in Medication Abortion, and deemed it acceptable for up to 1.00 AAFP Prescribed credit. Term of Approval is from 10/01/2025 to 9/30/2026. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. 

AAFP Prescribed credit is accepted by the American Medical Association as equivalent to AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ toward the AMA Physician's Recognition Award. When applying for the AMA PRA, Prescribed credit earned must be reported as Prescribed credit, not as Category 1.

Available Credit

  • 1.00 AAFP Prescribed
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