Abstract
Abortion is one of the commonest gynaecological procedures (Sedgh et al., 2012). The legal, social, and political contexts in which abortions are carried out differ considerably and these contexts dramatically affect women’s abortion experiences. The circumstances under which abortion may be legally performed vary widely. In some countries, there are virtually no circumstances under which abortion is legal. In others, abortions are available at the request of the woman to particular gestation dates. In countries where abortion is legal, the locus of decision-making differs: in some instances, medical practitioners must certify that abortion is indicated; in others, the woman herself makes that decision. In some times and places (for example, in Maoist China), the state has compelled some women to abort their pregnancies. Medical abortions (that is, those induced by drugs) have increased dramatically in recent years. These are not limited to clinic settings; abortifacient pills can be obtained via the Internet.
Cultural and social views of abortion differ widely across the world. Some societies (e.g. Japan and some post-Soviet societies) have been described as having an “abortion culture”; in such societies, abortion is an unexceptional way of terminating a pregnancy that would lead to social or economic hardship. In some locales, religious objections constitute a significant barrier to women’s access to abortion. In some contexts (mainly in the global North), anti-abortionists have vigorously promulgated claims that women who have had abortions suffer severe psychological consequences. Ironically, in countries (mainly in the global South) where women must resort to unsafe abortions, little attention has been paid to the psychological consequences.
We hope this special issue will bring together a broad range of feminist scholarship on abortion. We invite contributions on abortion in diverse contexts, locales, and circumstances. Possible topics include: public and social discourses on abortion; the nature of stigmata associated with abortion in different national contexts; the relation between such stigma and experiences surrounding abortion; experiences associated with illegal and/or unsafe abortion or with medical (as opposed to surgical) abortion; abortion in the context of other reproductive issues; forms of, and pathways to, pro-abortion or anti-abortion activism in various national and historical contexts; the ways that abortion providers, other health care personnel, sex educators, counselors, psychologists and researchers negotiate the meanings and valences of abortion.
Contributions may draw on research, theory, practice, or reflections on abortion work or abortion activism