Conceptualising abortion stigma

Abstract

Abortion stigma is widely acknowledged in many countries, but poorly theorised. Although media accounts often evoke abortion stigma as a universal social fact, we suggest that the social production of abortion stigma is profoundly local. Abortion stigma is neither natural nor 'essential' and relies upon power disparities and inequalities for its formation. In this paper, we identify social and political processes that favour the emergence, perpetuation and normalisation of abortion stigma. We hypothesise that abortion transgresses three cherished 'feminine' ideals: perpetual fecundity; the inevitability of motherhood; and instinctive nurturing. We offer examples of how abortion stigma is generated through popular and medical discourses, government and political structures, institutions, communities and via personal interactions. Finally, we propose a research agenda to reveal, measure and map the diverse manifestations of abortion stigma and its impact on women's health.

Care provision during termination of pregnancy following diagnosis of a severe congenital anomaly – A qualitative study of what is important to parents

“…(Kumar et al 2009, Norris et al 2011) For parents, this could result in social isolation where disclosure to peers was avoided, and hence support was not sought, due to fear of negative reactions. Analysis within this study highlighted a polarisation of views between women in their willingness to disclose.…”

Differential access to health care and support? A qualitative analysis of how Australian smokers conceptualise and respond to stigma

“…This perspective allows an acknowledgement of the broader socio-cultural, political and economic forces that structure stigmatisation (Parker & Aggleton, 2003) -consistent with Link and Phelan's (2001) sociological framework. In particular, this perspective avoids positivist assumptions that stigma exists universally (devoid of cultural context) and instead attends to the ways in which stigma is intimately tied to larger systems that produce structural inequalities (Kumar, Hessini, & Mitchell, 2009), which is particularly relevant given smoking-related inequalities (Siahpush, 2004) and increasing denormalisation of tobacco use via policy. In addition, such a view of stigmatisation importantly attends to the inherently political context of stigma (Graham, 2012), in which self-governance, personal responsibility and risk-management are socially valued practices of the autonomous and health conscious citizen (Bell, Salmon, & McNaughton, 2011;Petersen & Lupton, 1996).…”

Anti-Abortion Clinic Activism, Civil Inattention and the Problem of Gendered Harassment

“…It made me feel uncomfortable going into the clinic while a man was staring at me. (#198, Richmond, 2015) Here, being observed or approached while entering or leaving a clinic is upsetting because it draws the wider public into acknowledging the services provided in the building; it makes public knowledge of an intimate, stigmatised medical matter (Kumar et al, 2009), one the women did not want to broadcast, contravening what they consider their own embodied rights. Perhaps even more significantly, it destabilises the women's sense of autonomy, of their capacity (and their right) to take their own decisions -not simply about healthcare, but about their lives generally.…”

“…For Kumar et al (2009), abortion stigma is related to women's discursive positioning in femininity, in which 'real' women are or are destined to become nurturing mothers. They suggest that when women choose to avoid a potential birth their decision is often seen as a threat to the moral order, and argue that stigma is transmitted through the media, political and healthcare structures, as well as through more individualised communications.…”