Stigma Toward Women Who Have Had an Induced Abortion and Associated Variables

Abstract

Stigma toward women who have had an induced abortion was measured in 458 adult Mexicans and was related to the respondents’ place of residence, religiosity, beliefs about motherhood, ambivalent sexism, age, and personal acquaintance with a woman who had aborted. All participants completed a set of questionnaires that were validated in Mexico. The variables that predicted stigma were religiosity, hostile sexism, age, and beliefs about motherhood as giving meaning to life. The results of this study could facilitate designing strategies to reduce such stigma and its negative consequences on the psychological and physical health of women who have aborted.

Keywords:

• Stigma
• abortion
• religiosity
• sexism
• motherhood

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Kelly Mojica for helping in the recruitment of participants. We also thank the Consejo de Ciencia y Tecnología of Mexico for the scholarship awarded to the first author to study the PhD in Psychology (Institute of Pshysological Research from Universidad Veracruzana), since this research is part of her PhD project.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).