The discourses on induced abortion in Ugandan daily newspapers: a discourse analysis

Abstract

BackgroundUgandan law prohibits abortion under all circumstances except where there is a risk for the woman’s life. However, it has been estimated that over 250 000 illegal abortions are being performed in the country yearly. Many of these abortions are carried out under unsafe conditions, being one of the most common reasons behind the nearly 5000 maternal deaths per year in Uganda. Little research has been conducted in relation to societal views on abortion within the Ugandan society. This study aims to analyze the discourse on abortion as expressed in the two main daily Ugandan newspapers.MethodThe conceptual content of 59 articles on abortion between years 2006–2012, from the two main daily English-speaking newspapers in Uganda, was studied using principles from critical discourse analysis.ResultsA religious discourse and a human rights discourse, together with medical and legal sub discourses frame the subject of abortion in Uganda, with consequences for who is portrayed as a victim and who is to blame for abortions taking place. It shows the strong presence of the Catholic Church within the medial debate on abortion. The results also demonstrate the absence of medial statements related to abortion made by political stakeholders.ConclusionsThe Catholic Church has a strong position within the Ugandan society and their stance on abortion tends to have great influence on the way other actors and their activities are presented within the media, as well as how stakeholders choose to convey their message, or choose not to publicly debate the issue in question at all. To decrease the number of maternal deaths, we highlight the need for a more inclusive and varied debate that problematizes the current situation, especially from a gender perspective.

Abortion as agentive action: reproductive agency among young women seeking post-abortion care in Uganda

“…In contrast to the findings of a study among post-abortion care patients in Ghana (Oduro and Otsin 2014), respondents in this study did not claim ownership of their bodies and the abortion decision. Instead, they described abortion as an immoral act yet the only choice they had, thereby reflecting powerlessness and views consistent with the discourse on abortion in this context (Larsson et al 2015). Thus, abortion was portrayed as an act of capitulation to personal and social circumstances.…”

“…Often the law is interpreted as completely prohibitive (CRR 2012). Pervasive abortion stigma reflected in general discourse in media reporting (Larsson et al 2015) and legal restrictions on induced abortion limit access to good quality care and discourage women from seeking post-abortion care (Hussain 2013). Self-inducing abortions with herbs or solid objects are believed to be more common among poor and rural women, while non-poor urban women are more likely to turn to trained abortion providers (Singh et al 2006).…”

“…Opposition to abortion is partly rooted in the traditional views on gender and the dominant religious influence in Ugandan society (Kabagenyi et al 2014;Larsson et al 2015;Moore, Jagwe-Wadda, and Bankole 2011). Conceptions of femininity are closely attached to parenthood in Uganda (Nyanzi, Pool, and Kinsman 2001); hence, abortion challenges the ideal of 'real womanhood' and a woman's fundamental role of bearing children (Petchesky 1985).…”

Access to safe abortion in Uganda: Leveraging opportunities through the harm reduction model

“…This discourse is further subdivided into medical and legal sub‐discourses. The value judgments within the latter usually describe whether crimes are committed and if so, by whom (women and/or healthcare workers), and whether a woman who is forced to seek an unsafe abortion due to the strict law is its victim …”

“…The value judgments within the latter usually describe whether crimes are committed and if so, by whom (women and/or healthcare workers), and whether a woman who is forced to seek an unsafe abortion due to the strict law is its victim. 10 Due to unclarified values, young women have been turned away from contraceptive services because the provider thinks that they are too young to access them. Even when we know that sexual debut is often at 15 years of age, we feel quite uncomfortable providing an unmarried 18-year-old with an effective contraceptive method.…”