After the act : women's experience of abortion in one South African community

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Abortion is a universal phenomenon which has occurred in every society throughouthistory and which evokes extreme reaction. In South Africa, until the acceptance of theChoice of Termination Act 92 of 1996, elective terminations were illegal. Thisqualitative study explores the various contexts that impact on and influence the meaningwomen attribute to their abortion experience. Six women who have undergone abortionsand who now reside in the greater Cape Town area, South Africa, were recruited andinterviewed about their abortion experience. A semi-structured interview schedule wasused. Charmaz's (1990) social constructionist approach to grounded theory was utilizedfor data analysis. The premise of social constructionist theory is that the meaning ofexperiences is not universal, but actively constructed by people in specific contexts. Themeanings are dependent on the context in which they are experienced. The findingssuggest that a range of emotional responses follow abortion, but that women often feelvery ambivalent about abortion. These responses are influenced by the different contextsin which they occur namely the legal, social, religious, gender and personal contexts.Recommendations for future abortion research are included.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University