Managing abortion disclosure while seeking social support in a stigmatized context

• In Event: Medical Sociology Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): Table 3. Reproductive Health

Abstract

Research indicates that social support facilitates access to abortion care and buffers stress. Less is known about the disclosure process through which abortion seekers activate social ties to obtain support. This paper examines how abortion seekers disclose abortion plans while seeking social support within a stigmatized context. Using thematic analysis, this study draws on in-depth qualitative interviews with 41 individuals seeking abortion from a larger project on abortion seekers' experiences. Results show social support is conditional in the context of stigmatized healthcare, and different types of support—emotional, practical, informational, and financial—may not always be offered together. Analysis builds on the concept of strategic disclosure and identifies four distinct patterns of disclosure in participants’ accounts: selective disclosure, reluctant disclosure, non-disclosure while support is still sought, and alteration of narrative as a distorted form of disclosure. These findings extend theories of disclosure and social support and emphasize the need for patient-centered abortion care policies and formal non-judgmental sources of support.

Authors

• Mahboobeh Davoodifar, University of Cincinnati

• Danielle Bessett, University of Cincinnati