WHERE’S THE SPACE FOR JOY? A CALL FOR EXPANDED MEASUREMENT OF POSITIVE EMOTIONS AND ATTITUDES ASSOCIATED WITH ABORTION

Abstract

Objectives

The study explored Black women’s abortion experiences and their responses to an existing abortion stigma scale.

Methods

Following a six-week virtual digital storytelling workshop that aimed to reduce internalized abortion stigma, 14 self-identified Black women aged 19–66, from California and Indiana participated in a one-hour interview and in four 90-minute focus group discussions (FGDs) conducted via Zoom. During the FGDs, participants completed the Individual Level Abortion Stigma (ILAS) scale and reflected on its contents. The interviews and FGDs were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed thematically using Dedoose.

Results

Participants reported that receiving the ILAS scale prior to starting the digital storytelling workshop would have negatively affected their participation. More specifically, participants said that it would have led to feeling unsafe, lack of trust, and emotional guardedness. Respondents described positive emotions related to their abortion that are not captured in the ILAS or other validated measures, including feelings of relief, joy, pride, and gratitude. Participants also reported positive outcomes of terminating the pregnancy, such as finishing post-secondary school, ending harmful romantic relationships, and family planning for the future. Participants noted the need for a measure to better capture these positive aspects. At least one participant believed that the measure should be specific to Black women.

Conclusions

Use of scales such as the ILAS, while important, focus on the negative aspects associated with abortion and may actually introduce stigma. Our findings highlight the need for robust measures that are culturally responsive and capture both positive and negative impacts of abortion.