Exploring U.S. Social Work Students’ Sexual Attitudes and Abortion Viewpoints

Abstract

Social workers frequently engage with sexual and reproductive health topics, yet a notable paucity of social work research exists regarding abortion. Informed by overlapping theoretical frameworks of human rights and reproductive justice, this study examined a large, nationwide survey of social work students in the United States (N = 504). Linear regressions indicated that students' endorsements of permissive sexual attitudes and support for birth control are inversely associated with holding anti-choice abortion views. Moreover, distinct relationships were found among sociodemographic characteristics and abortion attitudes and knowledge, suggesting that social work education efforts regarding contentious reproductive and sexual health topics should also focus on nuances of cultural competence and diversity, as well as general human rights principles and professional ethics.

Differences in abortion attitudes by policy context and between men and women in the World Values Survey

“…Others have reported more accepting abortion attitudes with higher levels of education (Mosley et al 2017). Additionally, religiosity and abortion attitudes has been widely studied (Adamczyk and Valdimarsdóttir 2018;Patel and Johns 2009;Barkan 2014;Begun et al 2016). In the US context, Adamczyk and Valdimarsdóttir (2018) found that both individual level religiosity and the religiosity of one's geographic location affect the individual's attitudes towards abortion.…”

Reflections of stress in US abortion narratives

“…However, recent research shows that education about reproductive health is currently not often prioritized in social work educational curricula. For example, one study found that the vast majority of surveyed social workers reported that abortion was never or rarely discussed as part of their classroom education or field placement training; this echoes earlier findings that social work students lag with respect to abortion knowledge (Begun, Bird, Ramseyer Winter, Massey Combs, & McKay, 2016;Begun, Kattari, McKay, Ramseyer Winter & O'Neill, 2017;Ely, Flaherty, Akers, & Noland, 2012). Application of a TIC framework for social work education must therefore start with connecting social work principles to basic knowledge regarding sexual and reproductive health.…”

Psychometrics of the students´ attitudes towards addressing sexual health scale for students in social work

“…In social work there are situations of sexual harassment (especially for women) (Moylan & Wood, 2016), which may further complicate how social workers address sexual issues in their practical work and how social work students look upon their role in the field of sexual health. The social work student´s attitudes towards different aspects of sexual health, affect how the students act in their professional work (Begun et al, 2016). There are similarities between social workers and other health care professionals regarding barriers to address and promote sexual health, such as lack of education regarding sexual health, sexuality, and sexual and reproductive rights (Begun et al, 2016;Coleman et al, 2013;Haboubi & Lincoln, 2003;Lee et al, 2017;Ussher et al, 2013;Winter et al, 2016).…”

“…The social work student´s attitudes towards different aspects of sexual health, affect how the students act in their professional work (Begun et al, 2016). There are similarities between social workers and other health care professionals regarding barriers to address and promote sexual health, such as lack of education regarding sexual health, sexuality, and sexual and reproductive rights (Begun et al, 2016;Coleman et al, 2013;Haboubi & Lincoln, 2003;Lee et al, 2017;Ussher et al, 2013;Winter et al, 2016). Students also describe themselves as not being prepared to deal with various issues in their future professions, for example working with persons identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ) (Areskoug-Josefsson & Gard, 2015;Gezinski, 2009;Logie, Bogo, & Katz, 2015).…”