EXPERIENCES WITH THE M+A HOTLINE: SUPPORT ALONG THE SPECTRUM OF SELF-MANAGED ABORTION

Abstract

Objectives

The clinician-run Miscarriage and Abortion Hotline (“M+A hotline”) offers evidence-based reproductive health information, including information on self-sourced and self-managed abortion, while maintaining privacy and anonymity. The hotline has supported thousands of individuals experiencing a miscarriage or abortion from across the US, and has seen a continued increase in the number of people seeking support since its inception in 2019. The purpose of this study is to describe the experiences of people who access the M+A hotline and examine the hotline’s impact on their abortion experience.

Methods

From June 2024 to January 2025, we recruited 28 individuals from 19 US states who contacted the M+A hotline and completed an online survey. Participants were based throughout the US in states with and without restrictive abortion policies. We conducted anonymous in-depth interviews in English and stopped recruitment when conceptual saturation had been approximated. We analyzed transcripts using inductive and deductive codes and completed thematic analysis.

Results

The analysis revealed three key themes: Direct and personalized information from a clinician perspective facilitated participants’ trust in the hotline; by providing and validating information on abortion, the hotline alleviated participants’ concerns about prevalent disinformation; and amidst participants’ fears of the legal repercussions of self-sourced and self-managed abortion, the hotline provided a secure, anonymous way to communicate directly with clinicians for medical information and support.

Conclusions

Our findings demonstrate that abortion experiences exist along a spectrum of informal to formal care utilization, and that the M+A hotline functions within this ecosystem to mitigate abortion stigma and disinformation.