'any Reason Is Valid:' How an Unexpected Online Abortion Disclosure Is Received

BACKGROUND: Although nearly 1 in 4 women are expected to have an abortion by age 45 (Jones & Jerman, 2017), abortion still evokes intense controversy, including debates on the “acceptable” reasons for obtaining an abortion (Sanger, 2016). As a result, women who have abortions experience fear of social judgment, as well as self-judgment. They contend with both the perception of stigma as well as actual stigmatizing experiences, especially in geographic regions with stricter abortion policies (Hanschmidt et al., 2016). The threat of expected discrimination can cause women to hide their abortion history, negatively impacting their well-being and leading to social isolation (Hanschmidt et al., 2016). The social isolation and fear of judgment women may experience may influence a transition to online communities, which can provide a sense of shared community, social support, and the opportunity to give or receive practical advice (Adler & Adler, 2008; Cipolletta et al., 2017; de Koster, 2010). The purpose of this study is to further understand the thoughts and feelings of individuals who have sought abortion and explore the current abortion discourse.

METHODS: Authors compiled a list of responses to the following social media post by a well-known social media influencer: “A follower who just had an abortion asked me to do a post. They want me to ask how those who've had an abortion, felt about it. They don't regret it but don't think their reason was valid. If you're comfortable talking about your own experiences, this is the post.” The post was created in November 2019 and all responses were recorded in April 2020. At the time of data extraction, the authors recorded sixty-three responses. This study adopted a qualitative research approach to analyze a sample of social media content about experiences of abortion. Authors employed content analysis and supplemented with thematic analysis.

RESULTS: Four themes emerged from analysis of the responses: unhealthy relationships, not being ready to become a parent or be pregnant, providing support, and an ‘other’ category that contained a diversity of responses. Congruent with previous findings (Biggs et al., 2013; Chae et al., 2017; Kirkman et al., 2009), respondents provided multiple reasons for obtaining an abortion and described contextual factors that led to their decision, highlighting the need for a qualitative approach when examining the decision-making process. Moreover, multiple respondents described how their opinions or beliefs regarding abortion changed due to the experiences they themselves went through. Respondents shared their own internal conflict regarding whether they felt their circumstances justified an abortion or not. However, respondents voiced support for the author of the original post, commenting that “any reason is valid” and referenced the current right of women to choose to have an abortion.

CONCLUSION: A major contribution of this study is the illumination of thoughts and feelings regarding abortion from a context outside of a health clinic survey or questionnaire. Findings highlight the effort to normalize abortion as a women’s health and women’s rights issue and revealed a more supportive climate than what might be expected.