Abstract
This qualitative study considers the relationship between abortion, bereavement, and the effects of the COVID-19 lockdown nine women who had undergone an elective abortion, which is voluntarily termination of a pregnancy at the woman's request. These women were interviewed in three time points (1 month, 6 months, and 1 year after the event) to consider the possible evolution of their experience. The third phase was concurrent with the COVID-19 pandemic and particularly with Pope Francis's Easter declaration against abortion. All the interviews were conducted and analysed through qualitative research in psychology. Results showed that the abortion experience led to physical, relational, and psychological suffering, similar to perinatal grief. Participants were non-practising Catholics and religiosity did not help them to overcome their sorrow. Though religiosity is a possible resilience factor in other stressful conditions, in this case it is a factor that aggravated suffering. Finally, we discuss the difficulties experienced by Catholic women who choose to have an abortion and assert the necessity of psychological and spiritual interventions to support these women.
Highlights
IntroductionElective abortion (i.e., the voluntary termination of a pregnancy at the woman’s request), is the cause of significant ideological and social controversy and may cause psychological distress for some women [1]
Elective abortion, is the cause of significant ideological and social controversy and may cause psychological distress for some women [1]
This study was inspired by the clinical experience of researchers who had several cases of women, especially one, who suffered from complicated grief due to an elective abortion [63, 64]
Summary
Elective abortion (i.e., the voluntary termination of a pregnancy at the woman’s request), is the cause of significant ideological and social controversy and may cause psychological distress for some women [1] This issue involves many countries because of ideological arguments between the pro-life and pro-women’s rights perspectives. From the pro-women’s rights point of view, the legalisation of abortion is considered to be an important accomplishment by the second-wave feminist movement that introduced the concept of “reproductive freedom” and advocated for abortion access as a civil right [2] In this regard, the World Health Organisation (WHO) [3] assumes the perspective of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) [4], affirming that. Some religiously oriented pro-life attitudes contribute to the spread of social hostility toward women who have elective abortions [8,9,10,11]
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