Everything Is Not Abortion Stigma

Abortion Stigma: A Systematic Review

“…However, many of the mechanisms that cause variance in women's levels of perceived stigma remain unclear. More research within and between groups is needed to understand the social processes that create and maintain abortion stigma in different social settings …”

“…More research within and between groups is needed to understand the social processes that create and maintain abortion stigma in different social settings. 5,35 Studies also did not differentiate among reasons women gave for their abortion, which might have masked variations in experiences of abortion stigma. Some reasons for having an abortion are more socially acceptable than others-for example, having an abortion because one' s life is in danger is generally more acceptable than having an abortion for fi nancial reasons.…”

Abortion Stigma Among Low‐Income Women Obtaining Abortions in Western Pennsylvania: A Qualitative Assessment

“…Perceptions (or the reality) of limited upward socioeconomic mobility in marginalized populations may reduce the costs of childbearing in terms of sacrificed educational or career opportunities, and may elevate the value of motherhood . Edin and Kefalas wrote in their seminal work on family formation in low‐income communities: “Children offer a tangible source of meaning, while other avenues for gaining social esteem and personal satisfaction appear vague and tenuous.” 36(p. 49) Given that abortion stigma may emerge from the transgression of cultural constructs of womanhood, including the idea that “women are not ‘real women’ until they are mothers,” (p. e329) the negative valuation assigned to women who choose not to become mothers may be particularly robust in low‐income settings.…”

Challenging abortion stigma: framing abortion in Ireland and Poland

“…A central component of abortion stigma rests on the notions of concealment, secrecy and shame. 10 However, abortion stigma is a dynamic and complex social process, as Kumar 6 states:…”

“…5 Although often combined with and in the service of broader faithbased or right-wing agendas, abortion stigma is distinctive from other types of reproductive stigmas in its focus on women as procreators, who in seeking to end a pregnancy make an active decision to end a potential life, and in doing so rupture the moral order. 6 This article investigates "narratives of abortion" 2 in Ireland and Poland, focusing on the ways in which pro-choice organisations responded to attempts to stigmatise abortion in campaigns aimed at reducing access or maintaining prohibition to reproductive care. In the context of Poland, the 2016 campaign was aimed at resisting further restrictions on abortion.…”