Abortion Attitudes Research Articles

Opposition to abortion related to inaccurate beliefs about fetal pain perception in utero.

Misinformation about abortion and pregnancy is common. Restrictions on abortion access at and beyond 20weeks are frequently justified using the claim that a fetus can experience pain before the third trimester. The current medical consensus is that it is unlikely that fetal pain perception is possible before the 29th or 30th weeks of pregnancy. To examine the relationship between abortion attitudes and beliefs about when a fetus develops the capacity to perceive pain in utero. We used Amazon's Mechanical Turk to recruit participants residing in the United States (N=374) and used an online questionnaire to assess their beliefs about abortion and the ability of a fetus to perceive pain. Anti-choice participants were more likely than pro-choice participants to believe that a fetus in utero can perceive pain before the 23rd week of pregnancy (63.4 vs. 48.5%, P=0.010) and in the first trimester (40.1 vs. 15.8%, P<0.000). Most Black and Catholic participants, along with those with advanced degrees, believed that fetal pain is not possible before the third trimester. Most participants believed that a fetus develops the capacity to perceive pain earlier than developmental reality, and this belief correlates with anti-choice views.

Perspectives of internal medicine physicians regarding medication abortion provision in the primary care setting

ObjectiveTo better understand medication abortion attitudes and interest in future provision among Internal Medicine primary care providers (IM PCPs), and to characterize barriers to provision. Study DesignWe conducted a survey with IM attendings and trainees at a large academic medical center in Western Pennsylvania. We used descriptive statistics to characterize attitudes towards medication abortion provision, including the belief that it is within their scope of practice and interest in future provision, and to explore perceived barriers to provision. We used logistic regression models to assess factors associated with each of these attitudes. ResultsOf 397 eligible attendings and trainees, 121 (30%) completed the survey. Among those surveyed, 44% believed medication abortion is within the scope of practice of IM PCPs with trainees and female-identifying providers being significantly more likely to believe medication abortion is within their scope of practice compared to attending physicians and male physicians (60% vs 30%, p < 0.01 and 53% vs 31%, p = 0.01, respectively). Similarly, 43% endorsed interest in future provision, with trainees (67% vs 23%, p < 0.001) and female providers (54% vs 27%, p = 0.002) being more likely to express interest. The most cited barriers to provision included limited training in residency (70%) and low familiarity with abortion medications (57%). ConclusionsMany IM providers— particularly trainees— believe medication abortion is within their scope of practice and would like to provide this care. Interventions are needed to provide education and assistance complying with state and federal regulations to enable safe and efficient medication abortion provision by IM providers. ImplicationsIM departments and residency programs should seek to ensure training is offered to clinicians interested in providing medication abortion as a part of their primary care practice.

DIFFERENCES IN ATTITUDES TOWARD PRE-MARITAL ABORTION IN TEENS ATTENDING HIGH SCHOOL AND MA

School is a secondary education environment. For children who have attended school, the environment that every day he entered in addition to the home environment is the school. Teenagers who have been sitting in junior high school or high school generally spend about seven hours a day in school. This means that almost a third of his time each day is spent in school. It is not surprising that the influence of school on the development of adolescent mental health is quite large. As an educational institution, which is the case with the family, the school also teaches the values and norms that apply in society. The problem of sex in adolescents often concerns parents, as well as educators, government officials, experts, and the public. Having casual sex before marriage will eventually carry risks, such as pregnancy. An unwanted pregnancy, because it is not in accordance with the demands and norms that apply in society, results in abortion as a way that is considered to solve their problems. The study aims to find out how attitudes toward pre-marital abortion differ in teens attending high school and MA. The approach used is a quantitative approach with comparative research methods. The research was conducted at Dharma Karya UT High School, Pamulang and MA Manaratul Islam, Jakarta with a sample number of 50 people, 25 high school students and 25 MA students, which were taken by random sampling technique. The data collection instrument used is the Likert model scale. Data processing and analysis techniques are performed with statistical analysis that includes Pearson's Product Moment correlation to test item validity, Alpha Cronbach to test the reliability of data collection instruments, and T-test for testing research hypotheses. The number of valid items for the attitude scale towards pre-marital abortion is 40 items. The reliability of the attitude scale towards pre-marital sex was 0.8366. Based on the T-test, the result of t-calculate (0.989) &lt; t-table (2,021). There was no significant difference in pre-marital abortion attitudes between high school and MA. The results showed that there was no difference in attitudes towards pre-marital abortion in adolescents who attended high school and MA. This is evident from the categorization, both high school students and MA students as much as (40%) have a fairly negative attitude towards pre-marital abortion. It is recommended for further researchers to create pre-marital abortion items in the context of adolescents, in order to represent the research sample. Then it needs to be traced further, what factors can shape a teenager's positive attitude towards pre-marital abortion. So that this can be used as a preventive measure in preventing increasing moral degradation among adolescents, especially Indonesian students, related to pre-marital abortion.

Abortion in Sweden and in Henning Mankell’s Before the Frost

ABSTRACT This article investigates abortion in Sweden and the depiction of abortion attitudes in the bestselling crime novel Before the Frost (2002) by the internationally acclaimed Swedish writer Henning Mankell in which a man murders women who had an abortion as a major step in his plan of religious revival. It will first review the Swedish abortion law, statistics, and sociological research in order to provide additional background on the history and politics of abortion in Sweden, then show that the novel’s dialogues realistically reflects the majority of the population’s liberal view of induced abortion as a woman’s right supported by the law. I argue that the anti-abortion murders turn out to be the criminal plan’s flaw because the inspector solves the murders and prevents the main goal, suicide attacks on Swedish churches and possibly more. The line-up of the plot to the showdown in the early days of September 2001 connects the novel with global terrorism and responses to 9/11 resulting in a message about taking religious motivations seriously. In addition, I highlight the connection between the issue of terrorism and the theme of suicide which runs through the novel.

Influence of a values clarification workshop on residents training at Catholic Hospital programs

ObjectivesTo evaluate if a values clarification workshop conducted at Catholic hospital training programs influenced obstetrics and gynecology residents' abortion attitudes. Study designBetween 2018 and 2019, we provided a values clarification workshop focused on abortion care to 47 obstetrics and gynecology residents at five Catholic programs that do not provide abortion training. Participants received a pre-survey eliciting participant characteristics, and training experiences. On pre- and post-surveys, we asked participants to respond to abortion scenarios using a five-point Likert scales (1 = strongly disagree, 2 = somewhat disagree 3 = neither agree nor disagree, 4 = somewhat agree, 5 = strongly agree). We calculated descriptive frequencies, report the proportions agreeing with the statements (Likert ≥4) before and after the workshop, and compared median Likert responses using Wilcoxon matched pair test. ResultsForty-one participants (87%) completed both surveys. Twelve (29%) reported Catholic religion, six (15%) reported their personal reproductive care views were in line with their institution, and five (12%) selected their program based on its religious affiliation. Three (9%) had experience with first-trimester abortion for nonmedical reasons, and 20 (49%) planned to provide such care after graduation. Both before and after the workshop, all participants could think of a justification why a patient with an undesired pregnancy would choose abortion. After the workshop, more residents were able to think of a justifiable reason for the following abortion-related scenarios: (1) patients declining post-abortal contraception (51% vs. 78%, p < 0.001), (2) patients presenting for subsequent abortion (93% vs 95%, p = 0.01), and (3) patients presenting for second-trimester abortion (93% vs. 100%, p = 0.001). Many participants increased their Likert score when asked about acceptability of patients declining post-abortal contraception (n = 24, 59%), patients seeking a subsequent abortion (n = 15, 37%), and patients obtaining a second trimester abortion contraception (n = 11, 27%). Emotional and professional reactions to these scenarios were unchanged. After the workshop, residents were more likely to consider either financial inability (73% vs. 83%, p < 0.01) or disruption to career or education (71% vs 80%, p < 0.01) as morally acceptable reasons for requesting an abortion. For abortion for a patient who is financially unable to support their child, 12 (29%) increased their Likert score, 1 (2%) had a lower score and the remaining 28 (68%) had no change. For abortion for a patient whose career or education would be disrupted 13 (32%) increased their Likert score, one (2%) had a lower score and the remaining 27 (66%) had no change. ConclusionOur values clarification workshop resulted in more residents at Catholic training programs endorsing accepting attitudes toward abortion patient scenarios. Values clarification exercises can be a useful tool for residents to discuss abortion care, especially when training is insufficient. ImplicationsMost obstetrics and gynecology residents at Catholic hospitals experience limited training in abortion care. A values clarification workshop conducted at such programs may result in increasing resident acceptance of abortion-related patient care scenarios and may help reduce abortion stigma.

Traducción y validación de la “escala de actitud ante el aborto” de Rose Mary J. Crock.

El objetivo de este estudio fue traducir y validar la abortion attitude scale (EAA), instrumento con viñetas que analizan la actitud de los jóvenes ante la toma de decisión de la interrupción voluntaria del embarazo (IVE). Se empleó el método de jueceo con 19 jueces para la validación. Se aplicó el instrumento en una muestra de 150 estudiantes universitarios de ciencias de la salud. Los resultados indicaron la equivalencia la traducción tanto por los jueces como por la retrotraducción, demostrando una adecuada consistencia interna α=0.91. El AFE identificó dos factores que representaron el 50.82% del total de la varianza, confirmado por un modelo SEM. Se concluye que la traducción de EAA comprobó identificar adecuadamente los factores implicados en la IVE.

You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling: How Gender Shapes Affective Polarization

We examine variation in levels of affective polarization for men and women. Using the 1980 to 2016 American National Election Studies, we find that women are more affectively polarized than men. The effect of sex partially works indirectly through political identities and issue positions. Moreover, sex acts as a moderator, with political identities and issues positions have different effects on men’s and women’s level of affective polarization. Three factors create women’s higher levels of affective polarization: women are more likely to be partisans, strength in abortion attitudes, and partisanship has a more substantial influence on women’s attitudes compared to men’s attitudes. Breaking the analysis apart into three time periods: (1) gender gap emergence 1980 to 1988, (2) elite polarization 1990 to 1998, and (3) hyper-partisanship 2000 to 2016 reinforces that partisan strength is central to understanding affective polarization. Additionally, during the 1990s when elite polarization is intensifying the strength of issue attitudes and ideology.

O7 The role of complexity and ambiguity in shaping abortion attitudes

Objectives: Recognizing and tolerating complexity has been shown to be key in successfully navigating conflict about contested topics. Abortion conversations are often highly polarized and lacking nuance. Yet many Americans experience some level of discomfort with abortion. We sought to understand if acknowledging ambiguity and complexity in abortion conversations could help manage discomfort and ultimately increase support for abortion.

Efficacy, Distancing, and Reconciling: Religion and Race in Americans’ Abortion Attitudes

Religion and race together inform Americans’ abortion attitudes, but precisely how remains contradictory and unclear. Presumptions of shared religious or secular “worldviews” dividing abortion opinion mask variation among racially diverse adherents within the same tradition. Theoretical gaps compel a deeper, qualitative exploration of underlying processes. This article uses close analysis of a religiously and racially diverse, ideal–typical subset of in-depth interviews from the National Abortion Attitudes Study to identify three processes operating at the intersection of religion and race in abortion attitudes: efficacy, distancing, and reconciling. While religion’s effect on abortion opinion remains paramount, accounting for social location illuminates meaningful variation. Findings offer an important corrective to overly-simplified narratives summarizing how religion matters to abortion opinion, accounting more fully for complex religion and religion as raced.

Exploring potential interest in missed period pills in two US states

ObjectiveMissed period pills (MPP) are uterine evacuation medications used for treatment of delayed menses without prior pregnancy confirmation. This study explores potential interest in missed period pills in two US states. Study designWe enrolled people seeking pregnancy test services at nine health centers in two US states between June 2015 and October 2017. Participants completed an anonymous questionnaire containing closed- and open-ended questions about background characteristics, reproductive practices, pregnancy feelings and intentions, abortion attitudes, and MPP interest. We used ordered logistic regression to identify factors associated with MPP interest and inductive content analysis to identify recurring qualitative themes related to MPP interest or disinterest. ResultsIn all, 678 people completed the survey and 286/678 (42%) indicated interest in missed period pills. Interest was greatest (129/185 or 70%) among those who would be unhappy if pregnant. Variables associated with interest in the multivariate analyses were age ≥ 35, nulliparity, prior abortion and contraceptive use, recent use of emergency contraception, pregnancy feelings and intentions, and abortion attitudes (p < .05). Variables not associated with interest included state of residence, educational attainment, ethnicity, religious affiliation, and frequency of religious attendance. Key reasons for interest were to prevent, avoid or terminate pregnancy; and psychological or emotional benefits, including management of abortion stigma. Reasons for non-interest included concerns about safety or side effects, desire to be pregnant or have a baby, and not wanting to abort or hurt the fetus/baby. ConclusionIf missed period pills were available in the United States, demand might be substantial and wide-ranging across demographic groups. ImplicationsOur findings suggest that some people with missed periods do not desire pregnancy confirmation before taking medications that might disrupt a pregnancy. As a result, provision of missed period pills in the United States would expand reproductive service options and could improve the delivery of patient-centered care.

Anti-abortion activism in the Czech Republic and Slovakia: ‘nationalizing’ the strategies

ABSTRACT The article focuses on the changing strategies of anti-abortion activists in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Firstly, it explores the interlinkage with the global conservative network and describes the shared strategies. Secondly, it focuses on the role of religion and church in the Czech Republic and Slovakia with an emphasis on abortion attitudes in both countries. Thirdly, by pointing out the expected public role of religion in each country, the text examines the specific nature of anti-abortion activism in the political, public, and service spheres of the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Drawing upon comparative design, the article argues that, despite the mutual history of the two countries, the anti-abortion movements are driven to choose different strategies with which to promote their cause that reflects the ‘national’ cultural and religious ethos of the country. Whereas in the secularized Czech Republic, activists follow a model of downplaying religious background, the decentralized Slovak movements oscillate between appealing to traditional Catholic morality and engaging in more secularized strategies similar to those adopted by the Czech movements.

The 2019 H. Paul Douglass Lecture: I Can't Keep Quiet: Engaging with Scholarly Research on Religion

Methodologies used by social scientists grant access to quiet worlds and otherwise hidden truths. Social scientists are akin to strangers, trusted with secrets. The 2019 H. Paul Douglass Lecture proposes that scholars who engage with research on religion ought to listen quietly, but not keep quiet. We can transform the quiet to which we are privy into the collective. I illustrate the imperative to speak research out loud using the case example of the National Abortion Attitudes Study. Personal knowledge becomes collective revelation and, sometimes, social change.

Attitudes of California Registered Nurses About Abortion

ObjectiveTo describe attitudes about abortion among registered nurses (RNs) licensed in California and to determine if demographic characteristics were associated with these attitudes. DesignCross-sectional, one-time survey. SettingOnline between 2015 and 2017. ParticipantsNurses with active RN licenses in California (N = 2,500). MethodsAn anonymous survey was sent to a random sample of 2,500 RNs with active California licenses between 2015 and 2017 to assess their personal and professional demographic characteristics and their attitudes toward abortion. Using scores on the Abortion Attitudes Scale, we dichotomized participants into proabortion and antiabortion categories. We used chi-square tests to determine differences based on demographic characteristics. ResultsData from 504 RNs licensed in California are included in this analysis. Most respondents identified as female (n = 462, 92%), older than 50 years of age (n = 379, 75%), married (n = 364, 72%), White (n = 354, 70%), and Christian (n = 322, 64%). They were more likely to have negative attitudes toward abortion care if they identified as Christian (p < .001) and more positive attitudes if they identified as White (p < .001) independent of identifying as Christian. ConclusionsRespondents had a complex range of attitudes about abortion. In some cases, these attitudes aligned and/or conflicted with stated religious orientation. This study highlights the demographic characteristics that are associated with the attitudes and beliefs about abortion among RNs licensed in California.

Abortion attitudes, religious and moral beliefs, and pastoral care among Protestant religious leaders in Georgia.

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study is to explore Protestant religious leaders’ attitudes towards abortion and their strategies for pastoral care in Georgia, USA. Religious leaders may play an important role in providing sexual and reproductive health pastoral care given a long history of supporting healing and health promotion.MethodsWe conducted 20 in-depth interviews with Mainline and Black Protestant religious leaders on their attitudes toward abortion and how they provide pastoral care for abortion. The study was conducted in a county with relatively higher rates of abortion, lower access to sexual and reproductive health services, higher religiosity, and greater denominational diversity compared to other counties in the state. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed by thematic analysis.ResultsReligious leaders’ attitudes towards abortion fell on a spectrum from “pro-life” to “pro-choice”. However, most participants expressed attitudes in the middle of this spectrum and described more nuanced, complex, and sometimes contradictory views. Differences in abortion attitudes stemmed from varying beliefs on when life begins and circumstances in which abortion may be morally acceptable. Religious leaders described their pastoral care on abortion as “journeying with” congregants by advising them to make well-informed decisions irrespective of the religious leader’s own attitudes. However, many religious leaders described a lack of preparation and training to have these conversations. Leaders emphasized not condoning abortion, yet being willing to emotionally support women because spiritual leaders are compelled to love and provide pastoral care. Paradoxically, all leaders emphasized the importance of empathy and compassion for people who have unplanned pregnancies, yet only leaders whose attitudes were “pro-choice” or in the middle of the spectrum expressed an obligation to confront stigmatizing attitudes and behaviors towards people who experience abortion. Additionally, many leaders offer misinformation about abortion when offering pastoral care.ConclusionThese findings contribute to limited empirical evidence on pastoral care for abortion. We found religious leaders hold diverse attitudes and beliefs about abortion, rooted in Christian scripture and doctrine that inform advice and recommendations to congregants. While religious leaders may have formal training on pastoral care in general or theological education on the ethical issues related to abortion, they struggle to integrate their knowledge and training across these two areas. Still, leaders could be potentially important resources for empathy, compassion, and affirmation of agency in abortion decision-making, particularly in the Southern United States.

4318 A Qualitative Study of Men’s Abortion Attitudes in Restrictive States

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Despite its critical importance in reproductive health, access to abortion care continues to be impeded by laws grounded in religious, political, or other ideologies. We will characterize abortion attitudes among US men who live in areas with restrictive abortion laws using qualitative methods. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: We will use a semi-structured interview guide to elicit men’s attitudes about abortion, characterized within moral, legal, religious, political, and other domains. Inclusion criteria include English-speaking cisgender men, ages 18 to 65 who live in states with the most restrictive abortion laws as defined by the Guttmacher Institute. We will recruit participants through Facebook ads and interviews will continue until theoretic sufficiency. Using an inductive thematic analysis approach, transcripts will be coded for emergent themes by two researchers independently in QRS NVivo 12.0, with concurrent refinement of themes as interviews are completed. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: We will elucidate emergent themes regarding men’s abortion attitudes which could include how men think of abortion as a medical, moral, or personal reality, why they do or do not support abortion provision, among many other possibilities. We anticipate that researchers can use the data obtained from this study to begin to build a conceptual framework of abortion attitudes among US men who lives in restrictive states. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: This study will fill an important gap in the literature by qualitatively characterizing abortion attitudes among a population that has political influence on abortion access. Results can inform policy and advocacy campaigns aimed at shifting public abortion attitudes towards increased acceptance.

Pro-choice and Pro-life Are Not Enough: An Investigation of Abortion Attitudes as a Function of Abortion Prototypes

Attitudes toward abortion were investigated as being comprised of two dimensions: attitudes toward abortion as a procedure and attitudes toward choice. By separating the two dimensions as conceptually distinct, attitudinal groups expand beyond the traditional “pro-choice” and “pro-life” absolutist categories to include dilemma and regulated groups. Dilemma people are those who are negative toward abortion but positive toward choice. Regulated individuals are those who are not negative toward abortion but believe that abortion should be strictly controlled rather than an individual choice. People in these situationist positional groupings were hypothesized to hold different abortion attitudes and exhibit different individual difference profiles relative to those endorsing the absolutist perspectives regarding abortion. Using a sample of university student participants, the study results partially supported the existence of the dilemma and regulated attitudinal groups. As expected, those endorsing pro-choice and pro-life positions regarding abortion were different from each other on abortion attitudes as well as on a number of sexuality-related, gender-role attitude, and conservatism individual difference measures. Of note were the findings that the situationists (i.e., dilemma and regulated groups) tended to fall in between the two absolutist groups in relation to abortion attitudes and differed on the personality measures. It is insufficient to dichotomize attitudes toward abortion as either pro-life or pro-choice; this research suggests that, at minimum, there is a substantial intermediate group of situationists. By identifying and understanding this middle group, the issue of abortion may become less polarized and divisive. The situationists are a large proportion of attitude holders; this group may have a substantial impact on laws, regulations, human rights, and research surrounding abortion issues.

Abortion attitudes, training, and experience among medical students in Jamaica, West Indies

ObjectiveTo define abortion attitudes, training and experience among medical students in Jamaica, a restricted environment for legal abortion.MethodFrom September to November 2017 we conducted an anonymous online cross-sectional survey among medical students enrolled at the University of West Indies (UWI) in Jamaica. An abortion attitudes sum score was used for analysis. Multivariate regression was applied to evaluate the impact of characteristics and experiences on abortion attitudes.ResultsThe primary outcome was a validated composite abortion attitudes sum score, ranging from zero to forty-five. 1404 students completed the survey for a response rate of 88%. 64% had a positive attitude towards abortion. In multivariate analysis, medical students’ attitudes were favorably impacted by a prior personal or family experience with abortion, identifying as non-religious, being older in age and mixed raced. 1321 (94%) agreed that abortion training should be included in the medical school curriculum. 78.8% reported no abortion training and only 17.9% reported miscarriage management training.ConclusionMedical students at UWI had favorable attitudes towards abortion, despite their limited training in a restrictive environment. Prior personal experience with abortion and being non-religious were the strongest predictor of favorable attitudes. Increased training and clinical exposure may prove to be crucial in improving access of safe abortion.

“I’m Not Going to Jail for This,” an Analysis of Anesthesia Providers’ Responses to Georgia’s 22-Week Abortion Ban [01I

INTRODUCTION: State-level legal regulations affect abortion provision in the United States. Anesthesia providers participate in abortion care, and their understanding of legal regulations may impact their willingness to participate in hospital-based abortion care. METHODS: In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with currently-practicing anesthesia providers, who care for obstetric (OB) patients. A semi-structured interview guide elicited information on providers’ personal abortion attitudes through case-based examples and a discussion of Georgia’s (GA) 22-week abortion ban. Data were analyzed in an iterative fashion using both inductive and deductive approaches. RESULTS: Thematic saturation of the primary aim occurred after 15 interviews. Participants represented many provider types, including anesthesiologists, certified and student registered nurse anesthetists, certified anesthesiology assistants, and anesthesiology residents. Most participants practiced general or OB anesthesiology in a hospital setting (n=14). Two-thirds of participants reported prior participation in abortion (n=10). Most providers had little to no prior knowledge of GA’s 22-week abortion ban (n=11) and perceived an overall neutral or negative impact of the law on OB practice (n=13). Prominent themes that emerged from the data included “fear of criminality,” “transfer of responsibility to the law,” and “retroactive versus proactive medical care,” which described how anesthesia providers reacted to state-specific legislation on abortion. CONCLUSION: Anesthesia providers are not well-informed of state-specific abortion legislation and demonstrate a mixed response to such laws. After introduction of GA’s 22-week ban, many participants reported a more conservative approach to participating in hospital-based abortion care, which affects abortion access in this setting.

South African abortion attitudes from 2007-2016: the roles of religiosity and attitudes toward sexuality and gender equality

ABSTRACT Abortion is legal in South Africa, but negative abortion attitudes remain common and are poorly understood. We used nationally representative South African Social Attitudes Survey data to analyze abortion attitudes in the case of fetal anomaly and in the case of poverty from 2007 to 2016 (n = 20,711; ages = 16+). We measured correlations between abortion attitudes and these important predictors: religiosity, attitudes about premarital sex, attitudes about preferential hiring and promotion of women, and attitudes toward family gender roles. Abortion acceptability for poverty increased over time (b = 0.05, p < .001), but not for fetal anomaly (b = −0.008, p = .284). Highly religious South Africans reported lower abortion acceptability in both cases (Odds Ratio (OR)anomaly = 0.85, p = .015; ORpoverty = 0.84, p = .02). Premarital sex acceptability strongly and positively predicted abortion acceptability (ORanomaly = 2.63, p < .001; ORpoverty = 2.46, p < .001). Attitudes about preferential hiring and promotion of women were not associated with abortion attitudes, but favorable attitudes about working mothers were positively associated with abortion acceptability for fetal anomaly ((ORanomaly = 1.09, p = .01; ORpoverty = 1.02, p = .641)). Results suggest negative abortion attitudes remain common in South Africa and are closely tied to religiosity, traditional ideologies about sexuality, and gender role expectations about motherhood.

Choosing Choice: How Gender and Religiosity Shape Abortion Attitudes among Latinos

AbstractThe relationship between religiosity and political attitudes is well established in the United States, particularly around gendered issues like abortion. However, this relationship can be complicated by the highly gendered and racialized nature of social identities. In this paper, we explore how different forms of religiosity (belonging to a denomination, specific religious beliefs, and religious behavior in church and in private) interact with gender to shape Latino abortion preferences. Using two sets of national survey data, we find that Evangelicalism and church attendance are more strongly associated with anti-abortion attitudes among Latino men, while religious beliefs are gender neutral. Our results illustrate the importance of intersectional approaches to studies of social identities and political preferences, as well as the importance of including gender in research on the role of the Evangelical church on immigrant political behavior.