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Abstract
This study presents the results of an evaluation of a Story Circles intervention to reduce individual level abortion stigma among women who have experienced abortion in Mexico. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study explored whether participation in the intervention reduced 18 women’s experience of stigma one month after having participated. The study used the Individual Level Abortion Stigma Scale (ILAS Scale), qualitative interviews and focus groups to gain an understanding of women’s experiences of the intervention and any changes in stigmatising feelings. Findings suggest that the Story Circles offered women a place to talk about their abortion in an affirmative and supportive environment, unlike the context of their daily lives where stigma generated silence and affected their well-being. Participants were able to build trust, share their experiences, create connections and transform their perception of their abortion from a negative experience to one that was empowering and life-affirming. This also led to other significant positive changes in their lives. The paper offers recommendations about programme and intervention design and implementation for practitioners working to reduce individual level stigma among women who have experienced abortion.
Acknowledgements
We thank all who contributed to the first year of The Story Circle Project and its evaluation, and to the journal’s reviewers for their generous feedback.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interests was identified.
Notes
1 Each session took place over five hours, including breaks and contingency for late-comers.
2 ADAS is a 12-session programme, which was reduced to four sessions in a group setting for the Story Circle intervention.
3 The Story Circles were not designed for women with certain kinds of pregnancies (as a result of rape, or pregnancy beyond 12 weeks), who were in the process of terminating a pregnancy, who felt regret about their decision or had experienced depression or other mental health complications without medical attention. Women with these experiences were referred to other services that could provide tailored attention.
4 Two women dropped out of the Circles: one woman after the first session in Puebla, and one after the second session in Chiapas. Both women explained to facilitators that they had personal commitments that were difficult to change without having to disclose they were attending a group about abortion.
5 Two women who only completed part of the questionnaire were dropped from the analysis.
6 This was also reflected in the level of stigma recorded in the ‘self-judgement’ sub-scale survey responses.
7 All translations are by the authors.
8 Those that chose not to disclose their abortion to others did so because they felt they did not need to, it was a personal and private experience or they deemed that the risk of adverse reaction from their family members was too high.
9 For example, the prompt ‘The following questions are about the things you worried about around the time of your abortion’ could be changed to: ‘The following questions are about the things that worry you now’. An adapted scale is available from the authors on request.