Toward normalising abortion: findings from a qualitative secondary analysis study

Abstract

In most settings worldwide, abortion continues to be highly stigmatised. Whilst a considerable body of literature has addressed abortion stigma, what is less commonly examined are the ways in which those with experience of abortion describe it in non-negative terms which may resist or reject stigma. Drawing on qualitative secondary analysis of five UK datasets using a narrative inquiry approach, we explore: the use of non-negative language around abortion, potential components of a normalising narrative, and constraints on non-negativity. As such, we present the first empirical UK study to critically examine how a dominant negative abortion narrative might be disrupted. ARTICLE HISTORY

Normalising abortion: what role can health professionals play?

“…Our analysis highlights challenges abortion providers face, but also how they can, and do, contribute to normalisation at an individual level, echoing findings grounded in women's experiences of abortion [6]. Our findings foreground three key points regarding how, and by whom, this contribution can actively be made.…”

“…Secondly, they might present overt positivity about their work, focusing on their moral stance on women's right to access abortion and the social significance of their work. This would serve to 'refocus the conversation' around abortion, emphasising its moral 'good' and resisting negative framings [6,13]. Thirdly, as we note below, effective top-down support is essential to enable frontline health professionals to enact the normalisation of abortion.…”

“…The Sexuality and Abortion Stigma Study (SASS) is an exploratory study bringing together 11 qualitative datasets relating to abortion in the UK for qualitative secondary analysis (QSA) [6]. Here Maxwell et al 2020 Normalising abortion 4 we draw on the two datasets focused on health professionals working in UK abortion provision (the remainder having addressed women's experiences and general attitudes).…”

“…Abortion is represented in popular culture and the media as fundamentally controversial and negative [2][3][4], and this influences the options available to women to interpret and understand their experiences of abortion. However, recent research has identified discourses which seek to normalise abortion and present alternatives -such as an 'unapologetic' narrative -which may 'increase the cultural legitimacy' of abortion [5][6].…”

Speaking Shame and Laughing It Off: Using Humorous Narrative to Conquer the Shame of Anorectal Illness

“…Narrators can stop feeling ashamed of their past health-related choices. Several narrative themes may emerge from a story, including the absence of regret, certainty about the decision, and resistance to internalizing feelings of shame (Purcell et al, 2020). Fifth, the public telling of personal stories can serve a communal function by providing support to people with similar illnesses and raising public awareness about the disease (Beck, 2020).…”