Six women participated in a qualitative study to understand women's experiences with abortion. The women ranged in age from 52 to 26, and were at least five years post-abortion. A questionnaire was developed using a stress and coping model as a guide to answer the following: relevant primary and reappraisal processes; problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies; resources; and personal and environmental constraints. The results give the women's individual experiences as well as the themes that were consistent for the participants. The women all appraised the situation of an unplanned pregnancy as stressful. All of the participants viewed having the child as a threat to their education, career, or relationship with family. Although all of the women thought some part of the procedure was more stressful than they had anticipated, all found ways to cope with differing levels of stress. The women saw their friends, family, ob-gyn physicians, priest, and clinic staff as resources during the experience. The women most often reported that religious beliefs constrained their abilities to cope. They also reported a lack of information about the abortion procedure and possible physical and emotional effects as environmental constraints. Overall, all but one participant would make the same decision, and all viewed themselves as coping well with a stressful life event. / Master of Science

This study has developed and tested a model to explain the abortion standards of single women. A sample of 263 college women was used to test the two hypotheses proposed by the model. The findings show support for Hypothesis I that abortion permissiveness and premarital sexual permissiveness are positively associated for single women. This association is not significantly affected by either the controls of age or religion. Hypothesis II, which proposed a positive relationship between abortion permissiveness and number of times in love, is supported when age is controlled but not when religion is introduced as a control. Specifically, the failure of this hypothesis results from the fact that Catholics in the sample have been in love less and score lower on abortion permissiveness than non-Catholics. Additional findings of the study include successful development of a 13-item Guttman scale to measure standards for acceptance of abortion. This concept, as operationalized by the scale items, measures a concern for the social consequences of premarital pregnancy and childbirth. A serendipitous finding of the study is that the Reiss premarital sexual permissiveness scale failed to perform in the anticipated manner. This suggests the need to revise the Reiss scale so that it incorporates changes in premarital sexual standards. / M.S.

“The Politics of Abortion Care in Ohio” is based on 16-months (November 2021- February 2023) of ethnographic fieldwork and 47 semi-structured interviews conducted before and after the Dobbs Supreme Court decision (2022) overturning the right to abortion in the United States (US). Currently, 14 states have banned abortion and three have bans prior to six weeks of pregnancy. I assert that the criminalization of abortion care is a form of structural violence that leads to direct harm experienced by pregnant people. My dissertation strives to make significant contributions to theories of state-based violence with particular attention to reproductive governance, the anthropology of policy, and the politics of care. First, I develop my concept of reproductive gerrymandering, which names a particular phenomenon wherein the political power of voters who support reproductive healthcare access is suppressed across political party lines. It gives the false impression that the majority of residents in states that predominately elect Republican representatives want government elimination of abortion and related services. I argue that reproductive gerrymandering is a form of bureaucratic violence used to promote anti-abortion agendas, which then causes everyday structural harm to pregnant people. Second, building upon theories of agnotology, or the study of ignorance, I argue that “heartbeat” bans—legislation that advances medical misinformation—manipulates biomedical terms to imbue a particular social meaning to embryos at a very early stage of pregnancy. I explore how biomedical practices, in this case the use of ultrasound technology to detect a “heartbeat,” furthers the cultural production of ignorance around pregnancy and sends a strategic message about the beginnings of life. Third, I demonstrate how constant fluctuations in abortion policy shape temporalities of care in clinic settings. Finally, I reveal three overlooked dimensions of reproductive governance to better understand political control of reproductive bodies: administrative and regulatory, the spread of ignorance, and the political reconfiguring of reproductive time. Ultimately, I argue for the conceptual value of attending to temporalities of structural violence, and specifically the pace with which political violence unfolds.

Utilization rates of an abortion provider located in Roanoke, Virginia were compared with the national abortion rates. This study also examined the barriers that women must overcome in order to obtain abortion services. Green's PRECEDE model of health care behavior was used as a framework for the study. Generally, the Roanoke sample was very similar to the national rates, with any differences mostly explained by the demographic make up of the Roanoke region. Distance was found to be a barrier to the rural poor. Over half of the women who had their pregnancy tests performed at a health care facility were not given information on abortion services. Because the cost of a procedure increases with gestation and the number of providers declines with second trimester abortions, the findings suggest that this lack of timely information could put the option of abortion out of reach for some women. / Master of Science

Women’s rights to safe abortion have become recognized as a human rights imperative, and within the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women(CEDAW), States are obligated to ensure access to abortion. Despite this, abortion laws vary around the world. This suggests that norms of liberalized abortion laws stick better in some contexts than others. This study analyzes and compares norms related to abortion of the Philippines and the Republic of Ireland, in relation to the CEDAW Committee, through the lens of norm translation. The purpose is to explore to what extent the theoretical framework of norm translation can be used to understand how the government in the Philippines and respectively, Ireland, interact with human rights norms of liberalized abortion laws in the context of CEDAW, and if these interactions have produced legislative change. The study uses a qualitative content analysis to examine reports submitted as part of CEDAW’s monitoring procedure. The study concludes that the CEDAW Committees’ ideas on abortion coincide with those supported bythe State Party of the Philippines and Ireland, to some extent; norm translation can describe this to a great extent; norm translation can help us understand how the State Parties’ produce norm consistent measures and policies to a great extent; norm translation cannot describe why humanrights norms of liberalized abortion laws appear to have stuck better in Ireland than in the Philippines.

This literature review explored health care system experiences of women who miscarried. Particular attention was placed on the women's psychological well-being including coping and, grief needs along with cultural concerns. The findings indicated a need for future qualitative research to be conducted in order to examine the lived experience of women who miscarry. With new advanced home diagnostic technologies allowing women to confirm pregnancy before their first missed menstrual period, future research must place focus on early pregnancy loss occurring before the 12th week of gestation. With pregnancies capable of being identified prior to establishment of formal prenatal care, there is a need to provide better support and counseling services in the ambulatory setting. Additionally, in an effort to optimize pregnancy outcomes, perinatal care guidelines must include preconception counseling for all women of childbearing age. Lastly, the phenomenon of miscarriage requires further examination from the male partner's perspective in order to improve overall nursing care within an event that affects a family.

Study project (BCur)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Problem statement: The abortion regulation was implemented in 1997 before the necessary infrastructure was in place. The shortage of educated healthcare providers in abortion facilities led to uninformed women. Aims for this research was exploratory-describing of nature and was aimed on pre-abortion counselling to women with unwanted pregnancies in the state facilities in the Western Cape metropole to be evaluated from a nursing perspective. Methodology: Two samplings was done namely a 50% randomized, proportional stratified sampling from the State Health facilities in the Western Cape Metropole which offer abortion care service, as well as the non-randomized convenient sampling of pregnant women that received pre-abortion counselling. Data was gathered with the help of self compiled questionnaires. Quantitative data was analyse with the help of Statistika 7 and qualitative data according to Tesch’s approach. Results: Of the respondents 79% was between the age 16 and 30 and 72% was single. Although the Department of Health strives that abortion care services should be offered by a level 1 health facility, only 43% have been counselled through a registered nurse. While 49% consider preabortion counselling as important, 39% of the respondents received no, or information in groups regarding the termination of the pregnancy, 77% received information with regarding to the procedure and 50% was informed when they could go forth with normal activities. Approximately 54% received no information regarding post-abortion complications and 59% did not received a follow-up date. Approximately 68% of the respondents received information regarding family planning. Conclusion: It seems that pre-abortion counselling is not done according to guidelines and there is many gaps in the existing counselling methods in the different health facilities. Recommendations: Counselling should be based on the WHO and the Department of Health’s guidelines for abortion care. Nurses should be more involved in education programs. Abortion care facility’s should promote the total spectrum of abortion care and counsellors should receive special training and annually be re-evaluated. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Probleemstelling: Die aborsiewetgewing is in 1997 geïmplementeer voordat die nodige infrastruktuur in plek was. Die tekort aan doeltreffend-opgeleide gesondheidswerkers in aborsiesorgdienste het tot gevolg gehad dat vroue oningelig is met betrekking tot aborsiesorgdienste. Doelwitte vir hierdie navorsing was ondersoekend-beskrywend van aard en daarop gerig om preaborsie berading aan vroue met ongewenste swangerskappe in staatsaangewysde fasiliteite in die Wes-Kaapse metropool te evalueer vanuit ‘n verpleegkundige perspektief. Metodologie: Twee steekproefnemings is gedoen, naamlik ‘n 50% ewekansige, proporsionele, gestratifiseerde steekproefneming van die staatsgesondheidsfasiliteite in die Wes-Kaapse metropool wat aborsiesorgdienste aanbied, sowel as ‘n nie-waarskynlike, gerieflikheidssteekproefneming van swanger vroue wat pre-aborsie berading ontvang. Data is met behulp van selfopgestelde vraelyste ingesamel. Kwantitatiewe data is ontleed met behulp van Statistica 7 en die kwalitatiewe data deur middel van Tesch se benadering. Resultate: Van die respondente was 79% tussen die ouderdom van 16 en 30 jaar en 72% was enkellopend. Alhoewel die Departement van Gesondheid strewe dat aborsiesorgdienste by ‘n vlak 1 gesondheidsfasiliteite aangebied word, het slegs 43% hul berading hier deur geregistreerde verpleegkundiges ontvang. Terwyl 94% pre-aborsie berading beskou as belangrik, het 39% óf geen, óf inligting in groepe ontvang betreffende die beëindiging van die swangerskappe, 77% het inligting ontvang met betrekking tot die prosedure en 50% was ingelig wanneer hul kon voortgaan met normale aktiwiteite. Sowat 54% het geen inligting ontvang betreffende post-aborsie komplikasies nie en 59% het nie ‘n opvolgdatum gekry nie. Sowat 68% van die respondente het wel inligting ontvang oor gesinsbeplanning. Slotsom: Dit blyk dus dat pre-aborsie berading nie volgens riglyne gedoen word nie en dat daar baie leemtes is in die bestaande beradingsmetodes in die verskillende gesondheidsfasiliteite. Aanbevelings: Berading moet gebaseer word op die WGO en die Departement van Gesondheid se riglyne vir aborsiesorg. Verpleegkundiges moet meer betrokke raak by voorligtingsprogramme. Aborsiesorgfasiliteite moet die totale spektrum van aborsiesorg kan behartig en aborsiesorgberaders moet spesiale opleiding ontvang en jaarliks her-evalueer word.

Women of child-bearing age sometimes fail to plan for pregnancies. Often they discover that they are pregnant and are not prepared or cannot afford to raise the child. Before 1996 there was no choice for women as regards pregnancies, all pregnancies must be carried to term and delivered except on health grounds and with stringent conditions. However after the TOP act was enacted in 1996, women were allowed a choice of TOP up to and including 20 weeks of pregnancy.<br /> <br /> Regardless of the availability of choice of TOP, some pregnant women still present late (after 12 weeks) for TOP when the risks of complications and costs are higher. Women who present late for TOP usually have to be admitted to a district or regional hospital and managed. The costs at such institutions are high. TOPs before 12 weeks (early TOP) are done in a primary health care (PHC) facility (TOP center) and no admission is required hence less cost. Complications of early TOP are also very mild and rare. In Lejweleputswa district there is only one TOP Center (Kopano TOP Clinic) and this serves both Lejweleputswa and the Northern Free State districts. Early TOPs (less than 12 weeks) are done and completed at this center. Late TOPs (above 12 weeks but not more than 20 weeks) are initiated at this TOP center and referred to district or regional hospitals nearest to the patient&rsquo / s home, in both districts for completion.<br /> <br /> Problems - An increasing number of women are seeking TOP service at late stages of pregnancies and the incidence of severe complications like severe bleeding, retained placenta, infection, amniotic fluid embolism, death etc, are increasing. The hospital&rsquo / s bed space and budget are stretched to the limit due to the influx of late term TOP to the hospitals. Lack of manpower, especially doctors, in these hospitals also create some problems, as the few doctors available have to attend to other ill patients as well. Sometimes bleeding TOP patients are transfused with blood and placed on a waiting list for theatre and this often increases the risk of complications. The emotional effect of late TOP on hospital staff (doctors and nurses) are enormous as the expelled fetus are much more developed than in early TOP where no fetus is seen at evacuation with simple Manual Vacuum Aspiration (MVA).<br />

The primary objectives in this study were to gain a deep level of understanding of Kenyan women’s experiences of seeking abortion, both safe and unsafe, and to explore how social and legal issues impact their choices and the routes they take to obtain abortion. I explored the contexts and interpreted 49 in-depth narratives of women’s emic experiences of abortion in Mombasa city and the Kilifi district, Kenya, using a qualitative form of inquiry conducted between April and July 2005. Ethical Review Committees granted ethical clearance to this study. This emic work revealed gender inequity consistent with developing feminist theory and thus how women conceive gendered relationships is introduced in this analysis of women's narratives. The findings provide new insights as well as useful confirmatory knowledge, gleaned from detailed empirical evidence within Kenyan women’s social contexts. The women have revealed the evidence through their narratives; such an approach is largely missing in existing abortion literature. The prominent finding is that women do not abort motherhood, but they do abort particular pregnancies to protect motherhood; to avoid a difficult motherhood likely to compromise the quality of care they envisage for their potential and existing children. This includes ensuring the best nurturing environment, paternal and religious identity, social legitimacy. The abortion decision is difficult to make and thoroughly considered. The married women make a consultative decision with their ‘breadwinners’ having the upper hand. Legal barriers cannot bar abortion but entrench inequities in abortion care access, heighten secrecy, stigma, and hamper prompt comprehensive post abortion care seeking. Thus, financial resources, peers, geographical remoteness, and knowledge significantly influence the type of abortion accessed. Consequently, unsafe abortion threatens motherhood of the most vulnerable groups of women. The foremost recommendation is that public health law must ensure healthy, enjoyable, dignified motherhood for the women; hence safe early abortion (first trimester) must become accessible to alleviate existing health care inequities. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2013.

Este trabalho trata da interrupção da gestação, em casos de diagnóstico de malformação fetal letal e os processos psíquicos dela decorrentes. São feitas algumas considerações sobre os aspectos históricos e políticos da reprodução e da sexualidade, explorando, em seguida, aspectos relativos ao contexto cultural do aborto; o debate sobre o início da vida humana; questões da bioética e da legislação. O trabalho explora, ainda, questões sobre a legislação brasileira, Medicina Fetal e os processos psíquicos desencadeados a partir do diagnóstico de anomalia fetal letal. Foi desenvolvida uma pesquisa de campo, na Divisão de Clínica Obstétrica do Hospital das Clínicas da FMUSP, para aprofundar as questões teóricas discutidas. No período de agosto de 1998 a dezembro de 2003, foram realizadas entrevistas abertas com 249 mulheres, após terem recebido o diagnóstico de malformação fetal letal e entrevista semidirigida com trinta e cinco destas pacientes após a interrupção da gravidez. Este trabalho tem como objetivos específicos: identificar os processos psíquicos desencadeados nas mulheres, após o diagnóstico de malformação fetal letal; no processo de decisão pela interrupção judicial da gravidez; após a interrupção da gravidez; e identificar, na opinião das mulheres que receberam o diagnóstico de malformação fetal letal e que realizaram a interrupção da gestação, qual o papel da consulta psicológica nesse processo. A análise dos dados se deu de forma quantitativa e qualitativa. Os resultados obtidos versam tanto sobre o momento do diagnóstico como experiência que propicia um caos temporário com perda do raciocínio lógico, não permitindo reflexões imediatas. Demonstra as angústias vivenciadas no processo de decisão pela interrupção ou manutenção da gravidez, apresentando o processo de reflexão como de fundamental importância para decisão consciente e para posterior satisfação com a decisão tomada. O acompanhamento psicológico foi destacado como de fundamental importância para elaborar a situação vivida. Conclui que o diagnóstico de malformação fetal letal ativa mecanismos de defesa para manutenção do equilíbrio psíquico. O processo de decisão pela interrupção da gravidez deve ser acompanhado por um psicólogo para que ocorra revisão dos valores morais e culturais permitindo uma decisão adequada que visa minimizar o sofrimento vivido. / This research is about the termination of pregnancy in situations where lethal fetal malformation has been diagnosed, and the psychic process that the patient goes through in these cases. The study was done with some consideration for the historical and political process of reproduction and sexuality, exploring aspects about the cultural context of abortion, the beginning of human life, issues about bioethics, and specific Brazilian laws on abortion. It discusses the point of view of the Catholic Church on the termination of pregnancy. This research also explores questions about Brazilian laws, fetal medicine, and the psychic processes triggered after the diagnosis of fetal anomaly. This study was performed at the Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo, in the Department of Obstetrics Between august, 1998 and December, 2003 open interviews was performed with 249 women after they have been diagnosed with lethal malformation of the fetus, and semi-direct interviews with 35 women after their pregnancy had been terminated. The objective of this research was not only to identify the psychic process women undergo after the diagnosis of lethal fetal malformation, during the decision-making process for the judicial intervention in the pregnancy, and after the termination itself; but also to know their opinion about the function of the psychological consult in this process. The data analysis was quantitative and qualitative. The results show that the moment of the diagnosis is an experience that creates a temporary chaos that deprives logical reasoning, and this situation does not allow an immediate decision. It shows the distress experienced in the decision-making process, showing that a reflective process is essential to the conscious decision and to being satisfied with the decision once it has been made. The psychological follow-up was determined to be of essential importance to understanding this situation. The study concludes that the diagnosis of lethal malformation of the fetus triggers a defense mechanism to maintain the psychic equilibrium. A psychologist must follow the process of the decision through to the termination of the pregnancy in order to provide a moral and cultural reflection leading to the correct decision and minimizing the emotional distress for the patient.