“Out of This World”: Norwegian Women’s Experiences of Medical Abortion Pain

Abstract

Introduction

Medical abortion has rapidly become the dominant abortion method in western countries. Pain is a known adverse effect; however, few studies have explored women’s subjective experience of medical abortion pain.

Purpose

To explore Norwegian women’s experiences of pain when performing a medical abortion at home.

Material and Methods

We recruited 24 women through an advertisement on Facebook and conducted semi-structured, face-to-face interviews. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and the data were analyzed using a phenomenological hermeneutical method.

Results

Our findings consisted of two main themes: 1) Being in pain or becoming pain, and 2) Being caught off guard and struggling to cope. Participants described undergoing severe pain, comparable to giving birth, during the medical abortion. Unprepared for the type and intensity of the pain, they felt anxious and insecure. Pain is physical, but it also has important psychological, social, and existential dimensions. Our culture (in)forms our thoughts and feelings about our pain, affecting our ability to endure suffering. The participants’ experiences of abortion pain prompt timely questions concerning gendered socio-cultural and existential meanings connected to pain, specifically in relation to female reproductive functions.

Conclusion

Women need realistic information about the type and intensity of abortion pain, as well as evidence-based pain medication. Psychological factors may affect the experience of abortion pain and should therefore be taken into account in abortion care.

Keywords:

• gender
• medical abortion
• pain
• phenomenological hermeneutical study
• women’s sexuality
• women’s reproductive functions

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.