Department of Psychology

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Browsing Department of Psychology by Subject "Abortion -- South Africa"

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    After the act : women's experience of abortion in one South African community
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 1999-07) Germann, Heidi; Kruger, Lou-Marie; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Psychology.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Abortion is a universal phenomenon which has occurred in every society throughout history and which evokes extreme reaction. In South Africa, until the acceptance of the "Choice of Termination Act 92 of 1996", elective terminations were illegal. This qualitative study explores the various contexts that impact on and influence the meaning women attribute to their abortion experience. Six women who have undergone abortions and who now reside in the greater Cape Town area, South Africa, were recruited and interviewed about their abortion experience. A semi-structured interview schedule was used. Charmaz's (1990) social constructionist approach to grounded theory was utilized for data analysis. The premise of social constructionist theory is that the meaning of experiences is not universal, but actively constructed by people in specific contexts. The meanings are dependent on the context in which they are experienced. The findings suggest that a range of emotional responses follow abortion, but that women often feel very ambivalent about abortion. These responses are influenced by the different contexts in which they occur namely the legal, social, religious, gender and personal contexts. Recommendations for future abortion research are included.