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Dynamics of stigma in abortion work: Findings from a pilot study of the Providers Share Workshop

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  • Harris, Lisa Hope
  • Debbink, Michelle
  • Martin, Lisa
  • Hassinger, Jane

Abstract

Abortion is highly stigmatized in the United States. The consequences of stigma for abortion providers are not well understood, nor are there published accounts of tools to assess or alleviate its burdens. We designed The Providers Share Workshop to address this gap. Providers Share is a six-session workshop in which abortion providers meet to discuss their experiences, guided by an experienced facilitator. Seventeen workers at one US abortion clinic participated in a pilot workshop. Sessions were recorded and transcribed, and an iterative process was used to identify major themes. Participants highlighted stigma, located in cultural discourse, law, politics, communities, institutions (including the abortion clinic itself), and relationships with family, friends and patients. All faced decisions about disclosure of abortion work. Some chose silence, fearing judgment and violence, while others chose disclosure to maintain psychological consistency and be a resource to others. Either approach led to painful interpersonal disconnections. Speaking in the safe space of the Workshop fostered interpersonal connections, and appeared to serve as an effective stigma management tool. Participants reflected favorably upon the experience. We conclude that the Providers Share Workshop may alleviate some of the burdens of abortion stigma, and may be an important intervention in abortion human resources. We present a conceptual model of the dynamics of stigma in abortion work.

Suggested Citation

  • Harris, Lisa Hope & Debbink, Michelle & Martin, Lisa & Hassinger, Jane, 2011. "Dynamics of stigma in abortion work: Findings from a pilot study of the Providers Share Workshop," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 73(7), pages 1062-1070.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:73:y:2011:i:7:p:1062-1070
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.07.004
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Roe, Kathleen M., 1989. "Private troubles and public issues: Providing abortion amid competing definitions," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 29(10), pages 1191-1198, January.
    2. Glen E. Kreiner & Blake E. Ashforth & David M. Sluss, 2006. "Identity Dynamics in Occupational Dirty Work: Integrating Social Identity and System Justification Perspectives," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 17(5), pages 619-636, October.
    3. Hall, R.E., 1971. "Abortion: physician and hospital attitudes," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 61(3), pages 517-519.
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    1. Becker, Andréa & Hann, Lena R., 2021. "“It makes it more real”: Examining ambiguous fetal meanings in abortion care," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 272(C).
    2. Beynon-Jones, Siân M., 2013. "‘We view that as contraceptive failure’: Containing the ‘multiplicity’ of contraception and abortion within Scottish reproductive healthcare," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 105-112.
    3. Marianne Kjelsvik & Ragnhild J. Tveit Sekse & Asgjerd Litleré Moi & Elin M. Aasen & Eva Gjengedal, 2018. "Walking on a tightrope—Caring for ambivalent women considering abortions in the first trimester," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(21-22), pages 4192-4202, November.
    4. Suh, Siri, 2014. "Rewriting abortion: Deploying medical records in jurisdictional negotiation over a forbidden practice in Senegal," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 20-33.
    5. Steinberg, Julia R. & Tschann, Jeanne M. & Furgerson, Dorothy & Harper, Cynthia C., 2016. "Psychosocial factors and pre-abortion psychological health: The significance of stigma," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 67-75.
    6. Tiziana Ramaci & Massimiliano Barattucci & Caterina Ledda & Venerando Rapisarda, 2020. "Social Stigma during COVID-19 and its Impact on HCWs Outcomes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-13, May.
    7. Martin, Lisa A. & Hassinger, Jane A. & Debbink, Michelle & Harris, Lisa H., 2017. "Dangertalk: Voices of abortion providers," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 184(C), pages 75-83.
    8. Miner, Skye A., 2019. "Demarcating the dirty work: Canadian Fertility professionals’ use of boundary-work in contentious egg donation," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 221(C), pages 19-26.
    9. Mills, Lisa & Watermeyer, Jennifer, 2023. "A meta-ethnography on the experience and psychosocial implications of providing abortion care," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 328(C).
    10. Coleman-Minahan, Kate & Stevenson, Amanda Jean & Obront, Emily & Hays, Susan, 2021. "Judicial bypass attorneys’ experiences with abortion stigma in Texas courts," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 269(C).

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