Normative female sexuality and abortion stigma: a feasibility study using qualitative secondary analysis (360G-Wellcome-207878_Z_17_Z)

This project examines the relationship between female sexuality and the stigmatisation of abortion, directly addressing femininity, marginalisation and sexual/health rights. Worldwide, abortion remains controversial, and highly stigmatised, as it challenges powerful social norms of feminine sexuality, particularly in socio-cultural contexts where women’s moral autonomy is contested. A growing body of US-focused scholarship demonstrates that stigma, underpinned by health inequalities, creates barriers for women seeking essential healthcare, and contributes to the medical and social marginalisation of abortion. However, little is known about processes through which narratives of ‘deviant’ female sexuality contribute towards abortion stigma in the UK. We will test the feasibility of using qualitative secondary analysis of existing datasets, to synthesise knowledge of manifestations of abortion stigma in different UK jurisdictions. This approach, undertaken by an interdisciplinary team with significant expertise in abortion research and provision, will explore the interface between feminine sexuality and abortion in the narratives of women, providers, educators, and wider society. The study is timely given the potential impact of ongoing political change on abortion provision. This preparatory/scoping work is essential in establishing the feasibility of a larger collaborative proposal that will incorporate additional datasets, and utilise this foundation to develop a stigma-reduction intervention.