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'''Abortion doctors''' are [[physicians]] that carry out [[abortion | abortions]]. They tend to fall into one of three categories:  

'''Abortion doctors''' are [[physicians]] that carry out [[abortion]]s. They tend to fall into one of three categories:  

*Ob/gyns who perform abortions on their own patients

*Ob/gyns who perform abortions on their own patients

*Abortion specialists who perform primarily abortions at a local practice

*Abortion specialists who perform primarily abortions at a local practice

*"Circuit riders" who travel, often from state to state, to perform abortions at [[abortion facilities | freestanding facilities]]

*"Circuit riders" who travel, often from state to state, to perform abortions at [[abortion facilities|freestanding facilities]]

The first category is rare, though it is difficult to estimate how rare. Ninety percent of abortions are performed in freestanding outpatient facilities dedicated to abortion<ref name="newproviders">[http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/18/magazine/18abortion-t.html Emily Bazelon, "The New Abortion Providers", ''New York Times'', July 14, 2010]</ref>, but how many of the remaining 10% are performed on patients with whom the doctor has an existing relationship, versus how many are performed by abortion specialists, is unclear.

The first category is rare, though it is difficult to estimate how rare. Ninety percent of abortions are performed in freestanding outpatient facilities dedicated to abortion,<ref name="newproviders">[http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/18/magazine/18abortion-t.html Emily Bazelon, "The New Abortion Providers", ''New York Times'', July 14, 2010]</ref> but how many of the remaining 10% are performed on patients with whom the doctor has an existing relationship, versus how many are performed by abortion specialists, is unclear.

==Demographics==

==Demographics==

==Qualifications==

==Qualifications==

Any licensed [[physician]] can perform abortions in the United States. High profile [[abortionist]] [[Robert Crist]] is an ob/gyn,<ref>[http://cgi.docboard.org/cgi-shl/nhayer.exe Texas Medical Board]</ref> as were troubled abortionists [[Moshe Hachamovitch]]<ref>[http://cgi.docboard.org/cgi-shl/nhayer.exe Texas Medical Board]</ref> and [[John Biskind]].<ref>[http://www.azmd.gov/glsuiteweb/clients/azbom/Public/Profile.aspx?entID=1615756&licID=115554&licType=1 Arizona Medical Board]</ref> Abortion [[entrepreneur]] [[Steven Chase Brigham]], on the other hand, is a specialist in [[internal medicine]].<ref>[http://12.150.185.184/dca/result_details.jsp New Jersey Medical Board]</ref> [[LeRoy Carhart]], who challenged the [[partial birth abortion]] ban, is a [[general practitioner]].<ref>[http://cgi.docboard.org/cgi-shl/nhayer.exe  Iowa Medical Board]</ref> Troubled [[California]] abortionist and [[abortion clinic | clinic]] owner/operator Leo Kenneally had no specialization.<ref>[http://www2.mbc.ca.gov/LicenseLookupSystem/PhysicianSurgeon/Lookup.aspx?licenseType=A&licenseNumber=28653 California Medical Board]</ref> Bruce Steir, who was charged with [[murder]] after one of his abortion patients bled to death in the car on the way home, had no specialty and no board certifications.<ref>[http://www2.mbc.ca.gov/LicenseLookupSystem/PhysicianSurgeon/Lookup.aspx?licenseType=C&licenseNumber=24466 California Medical Board</ref>

Any licensed [[physician]] can perform abortions in the United States. High profile [[abortionist]] [[Robert Crist]] is an ob/gyn,<ref>[http://cgi.docboard.org/cgi-shl/nhayer.exe Texas Medical Board]</ref> as were troubled abortionists [[Moshe Hachamovitch]]<ref>[http://cgi.docboard.org/cgi-shl/nhayer.exe Texas Medical Board]</ref> and [[John Biskind]].<ref>[http://www.azmd.gov/glsuiteweb/clients/azbom/Public/Profile.aspx?entID=1615756&licID=115554&licType=1 Arizona Medical Board]</ref> Abortion [[entrepreneur]] [[Steven Chase Brigham]], on the other hand, is a specialist in [[internal medicine]].<ref>[http://12.150.185.184/dca/result_details.jsp New Jersey Medical Board]</ref> [[LeRoy Carhart]], who challenged the [[partial birth abortion]] ban, is a [[general practitioner]].<ref>[http://cgi.docboard.org/cgi-shl/nhayer.exe  Iowa Medical Board]</ref> Troubled [[California]] abortionist and [[abortion clinic|clinic]] owner/operator Leo Kenneally had no specialization.<ref>[http://www2.mbc.ca.gov/LicenseLookupSystem/PhysicianSurgeon/Lookup.aspx?licenseType=A&licenseNumber=28653 California Medical Board]</ref> Bruce Steir, who was charged with [[murder]] after one of his abortion patients bled to death in the car on the way home, had no specialty and no board certifications.<ref>[http://www2.mbc.ca.gov/LicenseLookupSystem/PhysicianSurgeon/Lookup.aspx?licenseType=C&licenseNumber=24466 California Medical Board]</ref>

==Motives==

==Motives==

Only anecdotal information is available on why doctors decide to perform abortions. Some samples include:

Only anecdotal information is available on why doctors decide to perform abortions. Some samples include:

*Canadian abortionist Garson "Gary" Romalis credits seeing women suffer and die from [[illegal abortion | criminal and self-induced abortions]] as his motivation for performing abortions legally and therefore, presumably, safely.<ref>[http://www.nationalpost.com/opinion/story.html?id=283931 "Why I am an abortion doctor", ''National Post'', February 3, 2008]</ref>

*Canadian abortionist Garson "Gary" Romalis credits seeing women suffer and die from [[illegal abortion|criminal and self-induced abortions]] as his motivation for performing abortions legally and therefore, presumably, safely.<ref>[http://www.nationalpost.com/opinion/story.html?id=283931 "Why I am an abortion doctor", ''National Post'', February 3, 2008]</ref>

*Notorious [[Kansas]] [[late term abortion | late-term abortionist]] [[George Tiller]] reported mixed motives: honoring the memory of his late father, who had done abortions in his own practice, and the oft-cited motive of wanting to spare women injury or death from criminal abortions.<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Tiller#Background George Tiller at Wikipedia]</ref>

*Notorious [[Kansas]] [[late term abortion|late-term abortionist]] [[George Tiller]] reported mixed motives: honoring the memory of his late father, who had done abortions in his own practice, and the oft-cited motive of wanting to spare women injury or death from criminal abortions.<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Tiller#Background George Tiller at Wikipedia]</ref>

*Abortionist [[Martin Haskell]], who popularized D&X (or "[[partial birth abortion]]"), did an internship in [[anesthesia]], and intended to go into [[emergency medicine]]. But, he said, he didn't think that would leave room for him to make a name for himself professionally. After taking a part-time job in an [[abortion facility | abortion clinic]], he thought he could make significant improvements in how abortion was practiced, and thus shifted his focus.<ref>"http://www.nrlc.org/abortion/fetal_pain/Haskell%20Cincinnati%20Medicine.pdf", ''Cincinnati Medicine'', Fall 1993</ref>

*Abortionist [[Martin Haskell]], who popularized D&X (or "[[partial birth abortion]]"), did an internship in [[anesthesia]], and intended to go into [[emergency medicine]]. But, he said, he didn't think that would leave room for him to make a name for himself professionally. After taking a part-time job in an [[abortion facility|abortion clinic]], he thought he could make significant improvements in how abortion was practiced, and thus shifted his focus.<ref>"http://www.nrlc.org/abortion/fetal_pain/Haskell%20Cincinnati%20Medicine.pdf", ''Cincinnati Medicine'', Fall 1993</ref>

*Chatoor Bisal Singh, who made the news when he botched two abortions, one of them fatally<ref>[http://realchoice.0catch.com/library/weekly/aa040901d.htm Christina Dunigan, "Tea and Sympathy", RealChoice, April 9, 2001]</ref>, told the ''Miami Herald'' that he didn't usually work at the Dadeland abortion facility, but was "strapped for cash" and agreed to fill in for abortionist Robert Kast while he was away. Singh described himself as "not an abortionist, just an honest, easygoing guy looking for something temporary."<ref>''Miami Herald'', September 17, 1989</ref>

*Chatoor Bisal Singh, who made the news when he botched two abortions, one of them fatally,<ref>[http://realchoice.0catch.com/library/weekly/aa040901d.htm Christina Dunigan, "Tea and Sympathy", RealChoice, April 9, 2001]</ref> told the ''Miami Herald'' that he didn't usually work at the Dadeland abortion facility, but was "strapped for cash" and agreed to fill in for abortionist Robert Kast while he was away. Singh described himself as "not an abortionist, just an honest, easygoing guy looking for something temporary."<ref>''Miami Herald'', September 17, 1989</ref>

*[[Reformed abortionists | Former abortionist]] Anthony Levatino performed abortions on his patients as an ob/gyn because he'd been trained to do so and, until his conversion to the pro-life cause, simply saw it as a treatment doctors provided as their patients requested it<ref>[http://www.prolifeaction.org/providers/levatino.php Anthony Levatino, ''Meet the Abortion Providers'', Pro-Life Action League]</ref>

*[[Reformed abortionists|Former abortionist]] Anthony Levatino performed abortions on his patients as an ob/gyn because he'd been trained to do so and, until his conversion to the pro-life cause, simply saw it as a treatment doctors provided as their patients requested it<ref>[http://www.prolifeaction.org/providers/levatino.php Anthony Levatino, ''Meet the Abortion Providers'', Pro-Life Action League]</ref>

*Abortionist [[Steven Chase Brigham]], having failed as a [[general practitioner]] and in his attempts to operate a smoking-cessation clinic<ref>[http://w3.health.state.ny.us/opmc/factions.nsf/58220a7f9eeaafab85256b180058c032/8328b3f301e2834185256a4a0047c608/$FILE/ATTELT7I/lc172457.pdf State of New York Department of Health State Board for Professional Medical Conduct, Statement of Charges in the matter of Steven Chase Brigham, January 4, 1994]</ref>, turned to abortion and became a multi-state abortion entrepreneur.<ref>[http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20100903_Doctor_s_four-state_abortion_business_under_investigation.html Marie McCullough, "Doctor's four-state abortion business under investigation", ''Philadelphia Enquirer'', September 3, 2010]</ref>

*Abortionist [[Steven Chase Brigham]], having failed as a [[general practitioner]] and in his attempts to operate a smoking-cessation clinic,<ref>[http://w3.health.state.ny.us/opmc/factions.nsf/58220a7f9eeaafab85256b180058c032/8328b3f301e2834185256a4a0047c608/$FILE/ATTELT7I/lc172457.pdf State of New York Department of Health State Board for Professional Medical Conduct, Statement of Charges in the matter of Steven Chase Brigham, January 4, 1994]</ref> turned to abortion and became a multi-state abortion entrepreneur.<ref>[http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20100903_Doctor_s_four-state_abortion_business_under_investigation.html Marie McCullough, "Doctor's four-state abortion business under investigation", ''Philadelphia Enquirer'', September 3, 2010]</ref>

*Brigham's chain of facilities, [http://www.americanwomensservices.com/ American Women's Services], recruited abortion doctors with the promise of easy money:

*Brigham's chain of facilities, [http://www.americanwomensservices.com/ American Women's Services], recruited abortion doctors with the promise of easy money:

<references/>

<references/>

==See Also==

==See also==

*[[Abortion clinics]]

*[[Abortion clinics]]

*[[Abortionists]]

*[[Abortionists]]

[[Category:Abortion]]

[[Category:Abortion]]