Abortion stigma in Sweden: An explorative study and analysis of women’s personal experiences

Abstract: Abortion stigma has been identified as a harmful social phenomenon with severe consequences for women all over the world. Recent conceptualizations within the emerging field of abortion stigma suggest that the production of stigma is profoundly local. The aim of this study is therefore to provide an indication of how individual level abortion stigma is constructed within a Swedish context. Conceptual frameworks of individual level abortion stigma have informed the interview design and provided a link to concepts within stigma theory and gender analyses of sexuality and biopower. Data was collected through five in-depth qualitative interviews with women with personal experiences of abortion, and analyzed through content analysis with guidance from the conceptual framework. The result indicates that abortion stigma is experienced in various ways and to different extents, both in relation to the abortion decision as well as the unintended pregnancy. All three manifestations of stigma (internalized, felt and enacted) could be identified and have caused consequences for these women. Important elements of abortion stigma found in the result were: over-simplifications, misconceptions and lack of awareness surrounding abortions, feelings of shame and guilt, and the women’s reactions to abortion stigma. The study concludes that abortion stigma in Sweden seems to be built upon the same gendered normative ideals that have been identified in previous research, with a possible additional focus on the ideal of not getting unintentionally pregnant. It is further concluded that the existence of abortion stigma in Sweden can be linked to concepts of biopower, heteronormativity and the discourse of modern sexuality.