About the Abortion Training Nexus

The Abortion Training Nexus (ATN) is a nationwide initiative dedicated to ensuring that the next generation of reproductive health providers has access to comprehensive abortion training—no matter where they live or train.

In the wake of the Dobbs decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade and led to sweeping state-level abortion bans, many OB-GYN residency programs lost access to in-state abortion training. Without trained providers, there is no access for patients—not just for abortion care, but for the full spectrum of reproductive healthcare. While clinics and advocates have worked tirelessly to protect patient access, little attention has been paid to preserving and expanding abortion training. That’s where we come in.

Launched in January 2024, the ATN was developed as an expansion of the Ryan Program, specifically focused on out-of-state abortion training. We are working to map the evolving abortion training landscape, identify barriers and opportunities, and develop tools that connect clinical training sites, educators, and trainees.

Our three-step process ensures that our work is driven by the realities on the ground:

1. Engaging with stakeholders – including abortion providers, training programs, independent clinics, Planned Parenthood affiliates, and medical trainees—to understand the challenges and needs in abortion training.

2. Developing evidence-based tools using implementation science to support training programs and clinical sites in facilitating out-of-state training.

3. Implementing and evaluating solutions to ensure that these tools effectively strengthen abortion training networks.

Who’s Behind the Abortion Training Nexus?

The ATN is led by Dr. Kristyn Brandi (she/her/ella), an OB-GYN and complex family planning specialist based in New Jersey. A lifelong advocate for reproductive freedom and justice, Dr. Brandi has been deeply involved in abortion training since medical school. She was among the few medical students who had early exposure to abortion care, which shaped her career and commitment to ensuring that all OB-GYNs—and other reproductive healthcare providers—receive the training they need.

After the Dobbs decision, Dr. Brandi saw an urgent gap in national efforts: while work was being done to support patient access, little was being done to secure the future of abortion training. Recognizing that training was disappearing in many states, she spearheaded the creation of the ATN to ensure that residency programs, clinics, and trainees could navigate this new landscape and continue building a robust, sustainable abortion workforce.

At the Abortion Training Nexus, we believe that protecting abortion access means protecting abortion training. We’re here to make that happen.

Join Us

If you are a trainee, educator, clinic, or organization involved in abortion care and training, we want to hear from you. Together, we can build a stronger, more connected network to ensure that abortion training—and abortion care—remains accessible for generations to come.