Sophie's choice: Narratives of ‘saving’ in British public debates on abortion

Lowe, Pam; Page, Sarah-Jane

doi:10.1016/j.wsif.2020.102332

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 13 publications

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“…Research on the relationship between abortion and mental health has often been the source of controversy. Much of this controversy arises from differences in cultural and religious beliefs about this procedure, leading to differences in the way harm is conceptualized [ 51 , 52 ]. It is not the aim of the current study to arrive at moral or ethical conclusions about the “rightness” or “wrongness” of abortion, but to expand the scientific evidence base in this field.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Relationship Between Access to Abortion and Mental Health in Women of Childbearing Age: Analyses of Data From the Global Burden of Disease Studies

Rajkumar¹

2022

Cureus

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Background It has often been suggested that restricting access to legal abortion could have a negative impact on the mental health of women seeking this procedure. The recent judgment of the United States Supreme Court in the Dobbs case has brought the question of the psychological impact of changes in abortion policy into focus. The results of studies on the link between induced abortion and mental health are contradictory, and interpreting the results of these studies is complex due to a multitude of potential confounding factors. However, there is little data on the relationship between the availability of legal abortion and its effects on the mental health of women of childbearing age in the general population. Objective The objective of the current study was to examine cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between access to legal abortion and the prevalence of common mental disorders in women of childbearing age at a cross-national level while correcting for potential confounding factors. Methods The current study employs both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of nation-level data for 197 countries and regions. As data on global abortion policy were compiled in 2009 and 2017 by the Guttmacher Institute, data on access to legal abortion for these years were examined in relation to the prevalence of anxiety disorders and depression in women of childbearing age for each country, obtained from the Global Burden of Disease Studies for the most recent subsequent year (2010 and 2019). The relationship between changes in abortion policy and changes in the prevalence of these disorders in each country was examined for the aforementioned period. All analyses were adjusted for the potential confounding effects of gender development, gender inequality, and intimate partner violence. Cross-sectional associations were examined using Pearson's bivariate and partial correlations, while longitudinal associations were examined using a general linear model and analyses of covariance. Results At the cross-sectional level, broad legal access to abortion was associated with a lower prevalence of depression in women aged 25-49 years, however, this association was not significant after correcting for measures of gender development, gender inequality, and intimate partner violence. At the longitudinal level, a slight but significant decrease in the prevalence of anxiety disorders in women aged 25-49 years was observed in countries where access to legal abortion was broadened in the period 2009-2017. This association remained marginally significant after adjustment for the above confounders. Conclusions The current study suggests that there is a modest relationship between access to legal abortion and its effects on the mental health of women aged 25-49 years. However, this relationship appears to be largely indirect in nature and influenced by factors, such as gender development, gender inequality, and intimate pa...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Relationship Between Access to Abortion and Mental Health in Women of Childbearing Age: Analyses of Data From the Global Burden of Disease Studies

Rajkumar¹

2022

Cureus

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Bibliography

2022

Anti-Abortion Activism in the UK

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Gendered Violence, Religion and UK-Based Anti-Abortion Activism

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Lowe

2022

Relig. Gend.

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The United Nations view access to abortion as a fundamental human right. Yet increasingly in the UK, religiously-motivated activists undertake public displays opposing abortion, often outside abortion clinics, and precipitated through international campaigns like 40 Days for Life (Lowe and Page forthcoming). Activists see their actions as an essential intervention; some explicitly frame this as a form of help. But examining this from the perspective of how bodies are gendered and regulated in the public sphere raises questions regarding whether this is a form of harassment, and therefore gendered violence. This article is based on a UK ethnography. Using Kelly’s (1988) continuum of violence thesis, we examine whether this activism constitutes gendered violence, examining two different activities—prayer and graphic images. Despite these activities being distinct and contrasting, we argue that both should be understood as part of a continuum of violence, causing harm to those seeking abortion services.

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Sophie's choice: Narratives of ‘saving’ in British public debates on abortion

Cited by 4 publications

References 13 publications

The Relationship Between Access to Abortion and Mental Health in Women of Childbearing Age: Analyses of Data From the Global Burden of Disease Studies

The Relationship Between Access to Abortion and Mental Health in Women of Childbearing Age: Analyses of Data From the Global Burden of Disease Studies

Bibliography

Gendered Violence, Religion and UK-Based Anti-Abortion Activism

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