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

IF 2.8 2区医学 Q1 OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY

Contraception Pub Date : 2024-10-07 DOI:10.1016/j.contraception.2024.110625

A Bell, J Williams, S Banks, K Giles, A Gubrium

{"title":"WHERE’S THE SPACE FOR JOY? A CALL FOR EXPANDED MEASUREMENT OF POSITIVE EMOTIONS AND ATTITUDES ASSOCIATED WITH ABORTION","authors":"A Bell, J Williams, S Banks, K Giles, A Gubrium","doi":"10.1016/j.contraception.2024.110625","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>The study explored Black women’s abortion experiences and their responses to an existing abortion stigma scale.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>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.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>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.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>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.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10762,"journal":{"name":"Contraception","volume":"139 ","pages":"Article 110625"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8000,"publicationDate":"2024-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Contraception","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010782424003202","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

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.

查看原文本刊更多论文

快乐的空间在哪里？呼吁扩大与堕胎有关的积极情绪和态度的测量范围

该研究探讨了黑人女性的堕胎经历及其对现有堕胎耻辱感量表的反应。方法在为期六周的旨在减少内化堕胎耻辱感的虚拟数字故事研讨会之后，来自加利福尼亚州和印第安纳州的 14 名自我认同的 19-66 岁黑人女性参加了一小时的访谈和四次 90 分钟的焦点小组讨论 (FGD)，讨论是通过 Zoom 进行的。在 FGD 中，参与者填写了个人堕胎羞辱量表 (ILAS) 并对其内容进行了反思。对访谈和 FGD 进行了录音、转录，并使用 Dedoose 进行了主题分析。结果参与者表示，在开始数字故事研讨会之前收到 ILAS 量表会对他们的参与产生负面影响。更具体地说，受试者表示这将导致他们感到不安全、缺乏信任和情绪戒备。受访者描述了与堕胎有关的积极情绪，这些情绪在 ILAS 或其他有效的测量方法中均未体现，包括如释重负、喜悦、自豪和感激之情。受试者还报告了终止妊娠的积极结果，如完成中学后学业、结束有害的恋爱关系以及为未来做好家庭计划。与会者指出，有必要制定一项措施来更好地反映这些积极方面。结论 ILAS 等量表的使用虽然很重要，但其重点在于与堕胎相关的消极方面，实际上可能会带来耻辱感。我们的研究结果突出表明，我们需要能够反映文化背景并同时捕捉堕胎的积极和消极影响的可靠测量方法。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Contraception 医学-妇产科学

CiteScore

4.70

自引率

17.20%

发文量

211

审稿时长

69 days

期刊介绍： Contraception has an open access mirror journal Contraception: X, sharing the same aims and scope, editorial team, submission system and rigorous peer review. The journal Contraception wishes to advance reproductive health through the rapid publication of the best and most interesting new scholarship regarding contraception and related fields such as abortion. The journal welcomes manuscripts from investigators working in the laboratory, clinical and social sciences, as well as public health and health professions education.