Internalised abortion stigma among women obtaining legal abortion in Türkiye

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the degree of internalized abortion stigma among women receiving legal abortion services and to evaluate whether these stigma levels vary based on sociodemographic factors. This cross-sectional study included a population of women who had received an abortion within the six hours following the procedure at the obstetrics and gynecology clinic of a public hospital. The researchers gathered data using a Personal Information Form and an Individual Level Abortion Stigma Scale (ILASS). The participants had a mean age of 30.84±6.14 years, with 55% having completed only primary school and 62% having had an abortion for reasons related to women's health. The study findings indicated no significant differences between individual perceived internalized abortion stigma scores and demographic factors such as educational level, husband's educational level, employment status, income level, number of living children, method of conception, number of abortions, and time since the last abortion. However, a weak negative correlation was observed between age and "concern about judgment." The study indicates that women's perceived and internalized abortion stigma is largely independent of their demographic characteristics, with participants expressing the highest level of concern regarding social judgment.