because they were unable to replace a retiring doctor. In 1982, there were 2,918 abortion doctors practicing in America, but by 2011, there were only 1,720. (1)

       In 2015, California passed a law allowing nurses and midwives to perform abortions.  However, a study that was done in California in order to justify the change in the physician requirement, showed that newly trained nurses and midwives had double the rate of complications as compared to experienced physicians. The researchers argued that an increase in complications should be expected due to the difference in experience between the two groups of providers, and that the two groups were “clinically equivalent”. No data was given, however, to show the difference between experienced doctors and newly trained doctors. (2)  Only 42 states currently require abortions to be performed by licensed physicians. (1)

        In states with large rural areas already short on doctors, women seeking abortion may need to travel significant distances to get to an abortion clinic.  Planned Parenthood is now suing the state of Idaho to drop its requirement of a licensed physician on the basis that it unconstitutionally restricts access to abortion. (1) 

1.  https://www.lifenews.com/2019/01/02/planned-parenthood-files-lawsuit-to-allow-non-doctors-to-kill-babies-in-abortions/
2.  https://www.lifenews.com/2015/11/09/dangerous-new-california-law-allows-nurses-and-midwives-to-do-abortions/