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Nguyen BT, Jacobsohn TL. Post-abortion contraception, an opportunity for male partners and male contraception. Contraception 2022; 115:69-74. [PMID: 35870483 PMCID: PMC9561074 DOI: 10.1016/j.contraception.2022.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Men who accompany their female partners at the time of an abortion represent a unique population who may be amenable to receiving postabortion contraceptive services. We sought to examine their interest in receiving both counseling and contraception when available. STUDY DESIGN We analyzed a subset of survey data on the experience of accompanying male partners at the time of an abortion at two urban family planning clinics. We examined their beliefs about shared contraceptive responsibility, attitudes towards participating in contraceptive counseling, and willingness to use novel male contraceptives. We conducted bivariate analyses and logistic regressions for sociodemographic and reproductive factors linked to these outcomes. RESULTS Of 210 male partners surveyed at the time of an abortion, nearly three-quarters characterized preventing unwanted pregnancy as a shared responsibility, believed in the importance of attending contraceptive counseling with their female partner, and reported willingness to use novel male contraceptives. Contraceptive method used when discovering the pregnancy was neither linked to men's attitudes towards counseling nor interest in using novel male contraceptives. Individuals between the ages of 25 to 34 (aOR: 2.69; 95%CI: 1.32-5.48), those with a college education (aOR: 5.49; 95%CI: 1.31-22.94), and those who had never experienced abortion (aOR: 2.21; 95%CI: 1.08-4.55) exhibited greater interest in using novel male contraceptives. Black respondents (aOR: 2.33; 95%CI: 1.01-5.38) exhibited greater interest in receiving contraceptive counseling with their partner and a counselor following the abortion. CONCLUSION For male partners, abortion may be an opportunity to engage men in contraceptive counseling and when available, offer new male contraceptives. IMPLICATIONS As few men receive comprehensive contraceptive counseling, engaging men when they accompany their female partners to family planning clinics may be an additional strategy to prevent unwanted pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian T Nguyen
- Section of Family Planning, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States; The Lundquist Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, United States.
| | - Tamar L Jacobsohn
- Contraceptive Development Program, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, MD, United States
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Li VM, Heyrana KJ, Nguyen BT. Discrepant abortion reporting by interview methodology among men from the United States National Survey of Family Growth (2015-2017). Contraception 2022; 112:111-115. [PMID: 35122730 DOI: 10.1016/j.contraception.2022.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine discrepancies in men's abortion reporting when queried via face-to-face interview versus audio computer-assisted self-interviewing (ACASI) in the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG). STUDY DESIGN The NSFG collects nationally representative data on family life, sexual behavior, and reproductive health in the United States. The questionnaire is administered to participants via face-to-face interview (FTF), with selected items also asked of the same participant via ACASI for direct comparison. As the 2015-2017 NSFG queried individuals' abortion history via both methods, we examined discrepant reporting among respondents. We additionally explored sociodemographic and reproductive characteristics associated with discrepant abortion reporting in a multivariable logistic regression model. RESULTS Of 4,540 male respondents ages 15-49, 45.3% reported a pregnancy. Via FTF, 12.3% reported an abortion, compared to 19.9% via ACASI (p<0.01). With respect to discrepancies in the number of reported abortions, 8.5% of respondents reported more abortions via ACASI versus FTF. Multivariable logistic regression modeling noted independently greater odds of abortion reporting in ACASI among non-Hispanic Black men (aOR 2.31, 95% CI 1.19-4.45), men living below the Federal Poverty Level (less than 100% FPL: aOR 3.65, 95% CI 1.93-6.89; 100-400% FPL: aOR 2.04, 95% CI 1.20-3.45), and those desiring more children in the future (aOR 1.91, 95% CI 1.20-3.04). CONCLUSION Men were more likely to disclose their abortions in ACASI compared to FTF interview. Disproportionate, discrepant abortion reporting among low-income, minority men who report desiring more children in the future warrants further research. IMPLICATIONS Surveys utilizing ACASI as an adjunct to FTF interviews may more accurately capture men's abortion experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria M Li
- Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles CA
| | - Katrina J Heyrana
- Section of Family Planning, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles CA
| | - Brian T Nguyen
- Section of Family Planning, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles CA.
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Kelly K, Gochanour AA. Men and ‘post abortion syndrome’: claims versus evidence. EUR J CONTRACEP REPR 2019; 24:13-17. [DOI: 10.1080/13625187.2018.1563066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly Kelly
- Department of Sociology, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
| | - Amanda A. Gochanour
- Department of Sociology, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
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Kimport K. More Than a Physical Burden: Women's Mental and Emotional Work in Preventing Pregnancy. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2018; 55:1096-1105. [PMID: 28418714 PMCID: PMC6115298 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2017.1311834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
In the United States, responsibility for preventing pregnancy in heterosexual relationships disproportionately falls on women. While the biotechnological landscape of available methods may explain the assignment of the physical burden for contraception to women, this does not mean the concomitant time, attention, and stress that preventing pregnancy requires must also be primarily assumed by women. Building on work identifying health care providers as contributors to the construction of normative ideas about reproduction, this study analyzed 52 contraceptive counseling visits with women who reported they did not want future children for the construction of responsibility for the mental and emotional aspects of contraception. Offering a case of how gender inequality is (re)produced through clinical encounters, findings demonstrate that clinicians discursively constructed these responsibilities as women's and point to structural aspects of the visit itself that reify this unequal burden as normal. Results are consistent with research identifying the broader feminization of family health work in heterosexual relationships. To the extent that the distribution of the mental and emotional responsibilities of preventing pregnancy is both a product of and contributor to gender inequality, this analysis yields insight into the production-and possible deconstruction-of (reproductive) health care as a gendered social structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrina Kimport
- a Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health , University of California , San Francisco
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Lee JK, Burke AE, Moreau C. Female and male decision-making regarding whether to continue or abort an unintended pregnancy: a secondary analysis of the FECOND study. EUR J CONTRACEP REPR 2018; 23:311-317. [DOI: 10.1080/13625187.2018.1506100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica K. Lee
- Bayview Medical Center, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Anne E. Burke
- Bayview Medical Center, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Caroline Moreau
- Department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Gender, Sexual and Reproductive Health, Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Population Health (CESP), Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
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Nguyen BT, Hebert LE, Newton SL, Gilliam ML. Supporting Women at the Time of Abortion: A Mixed-Methods Study of Male Partner Experiences and Perspectives. PERSPECTIVES ON SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH 2018; 50:75-83. [PMID: 29782074 DOI: 10.1363/psrh.12059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2017] [Revised: 02/08/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT Although men are commonly viewed as unaware, uninvolved and even obstructive regarding their partner's abortion access, those who accompany women to an abortion appointment may be more supportive. A better understanding of men's motivations could inform clinic policies regarding their involvement. METHODS In 2015-2016, data were collected from male partners of women seeking an abortion at two clinics in a large Midwestern city. Twenty-nine interviews were conducted to explore how men wanted to be involved in the abortion and why they accompanied their partners. Thematic content analysis was used to examine these data, and emergent themes informed a survey, completed by 210 men, that focused on perceptions about and reasons for accompaniment. Descriptive statistics were calculated for the survey data. RESULTS Four in 10 interviewees were aged 25-34, as were half of survey respondents. Overall, most had at least some college education and were in long-term or committed relationships. Interviewees described providing primarily instrumental (e.g., transportation and financial) and emotional (e.g., companionship and reassurance) support during the abortion process. While 57% of survey respondents would not have chosen to terminate the pregnancy if the decision had been their own, all wanted to support their partners. Notably, 70% viewed the appointment as an opportunity to receive contraceptive counseling. CONCLUSIONS Positive narratives regarding men's support for the abortion decisions of their partners provide a counterpoint to commonly held negative narratives. Future research should explore how supportive men who accompany partners at the time of an abortion may improve women's abortion experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian T Nguyen
- Assistant professor, Section of Family Planning, Department of Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles
| | - Luciana E Hebert
- Research specialist 3, Section on Family Planning and Contraceptive Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Chicago
| | - Sara L Newton
- Research specialist 2, Section on Family Planning and Contraceptive Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Chicago
| | - Melissa L Gilliam
- Ellen H. Block professor and vice provost of Academic Leadership, Advancement and Diversity, University of Chicago
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Guillaume A, Rossier C. L’avortement dans le monde. État des lieux des législations, mesures, tendances et conséquences. POPULATION 2018. [DOI: 10.3917/popu.1802.0225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
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Kirkman M, Stubber C, Rowe H, Holton S, Bayly C, Jordan L, McBain J, McNamee K, Sinnott V, Fisher J. Subjective meanings of 'unintended' pregnancy: interviews from understanding fertility management in contemporary Australia. CULTURE, HEALTH & SEXUALITY 2017; 19:179-193. [PMID: 27684303 DOI: 10.1080/13691058.2016.1214287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Unintended pregnancy can be difficult to identify and conceptualise. We aimed to understand how unintended pregnancies are constructed, explained and situated in a reproductive life. A total of 41 women and 7 men aged 20-50 years were interviewed in depth. Transcripts were analysed using iterative hermeneutic techniques informed by narrative theory. Of 34 participants who had been pregnant or had a partner in pregnancy, 12 women and 1 man described 23 'unintended' pregnancies, about half of which ended in abortion. Their accounts reveal that an unintended pregnancy is identified subjectively, that the same pregnancy may be identified by one partner in the pregnancy as unintended and by the other as intended, and that a researcher's supposedly objective assessment of an unintended pregnancy may be inconsistent with the assessment of the woman who experienced it. A pejorative discourse was evident, predominantly among participants who did not report having an unintended pregnancy: women use an 'unintended' pregnancy to entrap men. Accounts from five participants reporting an unintended pregnancy were selected for illustration. An appreciation of the role such a pregnancy might play in an individual life requires a nuanced understanding of the complexity of human experience and a resistance to simple binary categorisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maggie Kirkman
- a Jean Hailes Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University , Melbourne , Australia
| | - Claire Stubber
- a Jean Hailes Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University , Melbourne , Australia
| | - Heather Rowe
- a Jean Hailes Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University , Melbourne , Australia
| | - Sara Holton
- a Jean Hailes Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University , Melbourne , Australia
| | - Chris Bayly
- b Royal Women's Hospital , Melbourne , Australia
| | - Lynne Jordan
- c Family Planning Victoria , Melbourne , Australia
| | | | | | - Vikki Sinnott
- e Victorian Government Department of Health , Melbourne , Australia
| | - Jane Fisher
- a Jean Hailes Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University , Melbourne , Australia
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9
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Cowan SK. Enacted abortion stigma in the United States. Soc Sci Med 2017; 177:259-268. [PMID: 28161123 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2015] [Revised: 12/21/2016] [Accepted: 01/06/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Abortion is a common medical procedure at the center of political debate. Yet, abortion stigma at the individual level is under-researched; the nascent research on abortion stigma has not yet documented enacted (experienced) stigma instead capturing anticipated or internalized stigma. OBJECTIVE This study documents how women and men who disclosed abortions perceived others' reactions and determinants of those perceptions. METHOD The study uses the American Miscarriage and Abortion Communication Survey, a survey representative of American-resident adults. Data from the sub-sample who had personal experience with abortion were analyzed (total sample, N = 1640; abortion disclosure sub-sample, n = 179). The survey captured each disclosure of the most recent abortion. Respondents had eight possible choices for articulating how the listener reacted. Cluster analyses grouped these reactions. Multinomial logistic regression identified predictors of the perceived reactions. Ordinal logistic regression revealed which disclosers perceived exclusively negative reactions, exclusively positive reactions, and a mix of negative and positive reactions. RESULTS Each disclosure fell into one of three clusters: negative reaction, supportive reaction or sympathetic reaction. The majority of abortion disclosures received largely positive reactions (32.6% were characterized as supportive and 40.6% were characterized as sympathetic). A substantial minority of disclosures received a negative reaction (26.8%). The perceived valence of the reaction is predicted, in part, by to whom the disclosure was made and why. Across all their disclosures, most people disclosing an abortion history perceived only positive reactions (58.3%). A substantial minority of people perceived either exclusively negative reactions (7.6%) or a mix of negative and positive reactions (34.1%). Ordinal logistic regression (with people as the unit of analysis) showed perceived reactions are predicted by the number of disclosures made and the revealer's race and income. CONCLUSION Whereas most people disclosing an abortion received support or sympathy, a substantial minority received stigmatizing reactions, which could plausibly have a negative impact on health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah K Cowan
- New York University, 295 Lafayette Street, Fourth Floor, New York, NY 10003, United States.
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10
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Kimport K, Weitz TA, Freedman L. The Stratified Legitimacy of Abortions. JOURNAL OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL BEHAVIOR 2016; 57:503-516. [PMID: 27856971 DOI: 10.1177/0022146516669970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Roe v. Wade was heralded as an end to unequal access to abortion care in the United States. However, today, despite being common and safe, abortion is performed only selectively in hospitals and private practices. Drawing on 61 interviews with obstetrician-gynecologists in these settings, we examine how they determine which abortions to perform. We find that they distinguish between more and less legitimate abortions, producing a narrative of stratified legitimacy that privileges abortions for intended pregnancies, when the fetus is unhealthy, and when women perform normative gendered sexuality, including distress about the abortion, guilt about failure to contracept, and desire for motherhood. This stratified legitimacy can perpetuate socially-inflected inequality of access and normative gendered sexuality. Additionally, we argue that the practice by physicians of distinguishing among abortions can legitimate legislative practices that regulate and restrict some kinds of abortion, further constraining abortion access.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tracy A Weitz
- University of California, San Francisco, Oakland, CA, USA
| | - Lori Freedman
- University of California, San Francisco, Oakland, CA, USA
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Vandamme J, Buysse A, Loeys T, Vrancken C, T'Sjoen G. The decision to have an abortion from both partners' perspectives: a dyadic analysis. EUR J CONTRACEP REPR 2016; 22:30-37. [PMID: 27848257 DOI: 10.1080/13625187.2016.1255940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Male partners are often involved in induced abortion although they have no legal rights. It is, however, unknown how women's thoughts and feelings regarding the decision for abortion are associated with the decisional experiences of the involved male partners and vice versa. METHODS Flemish women and their involved male partners (IMP) filled out a questionnaire on abortion motives and feelings of decisiveness in the abortion centre waiting room (N = 106 couples). Actor Partner Interdependence Models investigated whether the decisiveness of one partner was associated with a subjective feeling of autonomy (high internal, low external abortion motivation) and decisiveness of the other partner, above and beyond the own feeling of autonomy and personal vulnerabilities for being uncertain. RESULTS Partner congruence in motivation and decisiveness was substantial (r= 0.23 to 0.42), especially for cohabiting partners. The IMPs were less internally motivated for the abortion than the women but both partners reported more internal than external motives, and they both tended to feel certain. In contrast to the women, a higher subjective feeling of autonomy in the IMPs was not associated with feeling more certain. When accounting for partners' living situation, levels of uncertainty were not only associated with personal vulnerabilities for being uncertain, but were also related to the degree of uncertainty and subjective level of autonomy of the other partner. CONCLUSIONS Partners' thoughts and feelings regarding the decision for abortion partially have an interpersonal basis and mostly run parallel despite an inherent gender difference in level and importance of decision autonomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joke Vandamme
- a Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology , Ghent University , Ghent, Belgium.,b Department of Internal Medicine , Ghent University , Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ann Buysse
- a Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology , Ghent University , Ghent, Belgium
| | - Tom Loeys
- c Department of Data Analysis , Ghent University , Ghent, Belgium
| | - Carine Vrancken
- d LUNA , Unie van Nederlandstalige Abortuscentra , Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Guy T'Sjoen
- b Department of Internal Medicine , Ghent University , Ghent, Belgium.,e Centre for Sexology and Gender, Ghent University Hospital , Ghent, Belgium
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12
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No one sees the fathers: Israeli fathers' experience of feticide. Soc Sci Med 2016; 168:159-166. [DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2015] [Revised: 09/01/2016] [Accepted: 09/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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13
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Coyle CT, Rue VM. A Thematic Analysis of Men's Experience With a Partner's Elective Abortion. COUNSELING AND VALUES 2015. [DOI: 10.1002/cvj.12010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Vincent M. Rue
- Alliance for Post-Abortion Research and Training; Jacksonville Florida
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14
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Hans JD, Kimberly C. Abortion attitudes in context: a multidimensional vignette approach. SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH 2014; 48:145-156. [PMID: 25131281 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssresearch.2014.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2013] [Revised: 06/13/2014] [Accepted: 06/13/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The effects of relationship status, rationale for considering abortion (life circumstance versus health issue), and the male partner's wishes on abortion attitudes were examined using a multiple-segment factorial vignette with a probability sample of 532 Kentucky households. Respondents expressed strong opinions in the absence of contextual details, yet many shifted the direction of their strongly-held positions once contextual information was revealed that challenged their initial assumptions. Results confirm and extend prior research by indicating that attitudes are strongly held but are simultaneously highly responsive to context. The validity of surveys and polls that attempt to measure global attitudes toward abortion, such as pro-choice versus pro-life, in the absence of contextual details is therefore questioned. The full context of one's life and situation is weighed in the abortion decision-making process, and our findings indicate that attitudes toward abortion are largely responsive and reflective of that context as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason D Hans
- Department of Family Sciences, University of Kentucky, United States.
| | - Claire Kimberly
- Department of Child and Family Studies, University of Southern Mississippi, United States
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15
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Costescu DJ, Lamont JA. Understanding the pregnancy decision-making process among couples seeking induced abortion. JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY CANADA 2013; 35:899-904. [PMID: 24165057 DOI: 10.1016/s1701-2163(15)30811-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The role of partners in the abortion experience is complex and poorly understood. We sought to examine how women and their partners navigate the pregnancy decision-making process. METHODS Thirty couples presenting for abortion completed questionnaires exploring experiences leading to the abortion. Participants were sequestered from their partners during completion of the study, and booklets were coded to allow comparison within couples. This portion of the study explored partner involvement in the decision-making process. RESULTS One half of women had decided on abortion before informing their partner of the pregnancy. Of those who were undecided at the time of disclosure, all sought their partner's advice. Most participants (84%) were happy with the amount of discussion that took place with their partners, although one fifth of women and nearly one third of men could have discussed it more. More women than men were happy with the discussions that took place (96.6% vs. 70.4%). Two thirds of respondents viewed the decision to have an abortion as being made by both partners, one quarter viewed the decision as being mostly the woman's choice, and 5% viewed the decision as being mostly the male partner's choice. CONCLUSION Although making the choice to have an abortion rests with the woman, her partner may play a role in the decision-making process, particularly when the woman is undecided. For many couples presenting for abortion, the decision is seen as being made jointly by both partners. Further research may identify opportunities to foster greater partner support throughout a woman's abortion experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin J Costescu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, McMaster University, Hamilton ON; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Queen's University, Kingston ON
| | - John A Lamont
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, McMaster University, Hamilton ON
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Macleod CI, Hansjee J. Men and talk about legal abortion in South Africa: equality, support and rights discourses undermining reproductive 'choice'. CULTURE, HEALTH & SEXUALITY 2013; 15:997-1010. [PMID: 23768420 DOI: 10.1080/13691058.2013.802815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Discursive constructions of abortion are embedded in the social and gendered power relations of a particular socio-historical space. As part of research on public discourses concerning abortion in South Africa where there has been a radical liberalisation of abortion legislation, we collected data from male group discussions about a vignette concerning abortion, and newspaper articles written by men about abortion. Our analysis revealed how discourses of equality, support and rights may be used by men to subtly undermine women's reproductive right to 'choose' an abortion. Within an Equal Partnership discourse, abortion, paired with the assumption of foetal personhood, was equated with violating an equal heterosexual partnership and a man's patriarchal duty to protect a child. A New Man discourse, which positions men as supportive of women, was paired with the assumption of men as rational and women as irrational in decision-making, to allow for the possibility of men dissuading women from terminating a pregnancy. A Rights discourse was invoked to suggest that abortion violates men's paternal rights.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catriona Ida Macleod
- a Critical Studies in Sexualities and Reproduction Research Programme, Department of Psychology , Rhodes University , Grahamstown , South Africa
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Canário C, Figueiredo B, Ricou M. Women and men’s psychological adjustment after abortion: a six months prospective pilot study. J Reprod Infant Psychol 2011. [DOI: 10.1080/02646838.2011.592974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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Lohan M, Cruise S, O'Halloran P, Alderdice F, Hyde A. Adolescent men's attitudes in relation to pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes: a systematic review of the literature from 1980-2009. J Adolesc Health 2010; 47:327-45. [PMID: 20864002 DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2010.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2010] [Revised: 04/12/2010] [Accepted: 05/08/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
This review article reveals a long-standing gender bias in academic and policy research on adolescent pregnancy, which has led to the neglect of adolescent men's perspectives. The review summarizes the available literature on adolescent men's attitudes in relation to pregnancy occurrence and pregnancy outcomes in the context of addressing three questions: (1) What are adolescent men's attitudes to an adolescent pregnancy? (2) What are adolescent men's attitudes in relation to pregnancy outcomes? (3) What explanations are offered for the identified attitudes to adolescent pregnancy and resolution? The review establishes a foundation for future quantitative and qualitative research on adolescent men's perspectives. It emphasizes that a greater understanding of adolescent men's perspectives could lead to a re-framing of adolescent pregnancy away from being seen solely as a woman's issue. Furthermore, it is argued that the inclusion of adolescent men would lead to more effective adolescent pregnancy prevention and counseling programmes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Lohan
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom.
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Halldén BM, Christensson K. Swedish Young Men's Lived Experiences of a Girlfriend's Early Induced Abortion. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.3149/jmh.0902.126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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