“That's a woman's body, that's a woman's choice”: The influence of policy on women's reproductive choices

Abstract

This study explored Victorian (Australia) women's lived experiences of policy regarding their reproductive choices. In-depth interviews were conducted with 15 women aged between 20 and 45 years. Five inter-connected themes emerged: social-cultural-political-legal-environmental context; access, information and experiences of resources and services; impacts and implications for everyday life; immediate personal; and the social-historical-individual context. Across these themes, it is apparent that the notion of freedom of choice in reproductive decision-making and family planning is constrained by legislation, law and public policy, which have consequences for women's lived experiences of their reproductive choices, restricting women's reproductive rights. More research is needed to explore the impacts of policy on women's lived experiences of reproductive choices over time, including how changes to policy impact women's reproductive choices, the consequences of these choices, and how policy constrains or supports women's reproductive rights.