Qualitative Evidence on Abortion Stigma from Mexico City and Five States in Mexico

Abstract

Social manifestations of abortion stigma depend upon cultural, legal, and religious context. Abortion stigma in Mexico is under-researched. This study explored the sources, experiences, and consequences of stigma from the perspectives of women who had had an abortion, male partners, and members of the general population in different regional and legal contexts. We explored abortion stigma in Mexico City where abortion is legal in the first trimester and five states—Chihuahua, Chiapas, Jalisco, Oaxaca, and Yucatán—where abortion remains restricted. In each state, we conducted three focus groups—men ages 24–40 years (n = 36), women 25–40 years (n = 37), and young women ages 18–24 years (n = 27)—and four in-depth face-to-face interviews in total; two with women (n = 12) and two with the male partners of women who had had an abortion (n = 12). For 4 of the 12 women, this was their second abortion. This exploratory study suggests that abortion stigma was influenced by norms that placed a high value on motherhood and a conservative Catholic discourse. Some participants in this study described abortion as an “indelible mark” on a woman’s identity and “divine punishment” as a consequence. Perspectives encountered in Mexico City often differed from the conservative postures in the states.