Swedish young men's lived experiences of a girlfriend's early induced abortion

Abstract

Abortion rates worldwide suggest that a large number of young men are in fact exposed to the experience of an abortion. This phenomenological hermeneutic study illuminates ten young men’s experiences of the abortion process including the abortion itself. In view of their different cultural backgrounds and their stable or merely casual relationship with the girlfriend, their experiences are illuminated in four main themes as; having interrupted a life-giving process, having wished to relieve the girlfriend’s pain, having struggled with feelings of helplessness, and standing up for made decisions. The interpreted whole is expressed as; a wish to compensate the girlfriend for her suffering and share with her the responsibility for the abortion. With a view to promoting gender equality in reproductive health the results are discussed in the light of relational ethics and contribute to reflections on current praxis in health-care settings.