African Centre of Excellence in Reproductive Health Innovation, University of Benin, Benin, Nigeria.
Women's Health and Action Research Centre, Benin City, Nigeria.
Glob Health Action. 2024 Dec 31;17(1):2401849. doi: 10.1080/16549716.2024.2401849. Epub 2024 Oct 30.
Abortion stigma as reported globally has been inadequately documented empirically in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country with a restrictive abortion law and a high rate of unsafe abortions.
The objectives of this study were to investigate the ways in which abortion stigma is experienced by Nigerian health professionals and how such experiences influence health professionals' practice of safe abortion and post-abortion care.
The study utilized qualitative research consisting of in-depth interviews with 10 abortion providers. We elicited information with an open-ended interview guide that investigated the understanding of participants' experiences of abortion stigma in Nigeria. The data were analysed qualitatively and thematically using Atlas.ti.
The themes centred on perceptions and experiences of stigma among the providers interviewed. Participants' experiences of abortion stigma included the following: being treated differently to other health professionals; experiencing disapproval and disrespect; name-calling and societal judgement; tagging and profiling of clinics by anti-abortionists; and social isolation. Participants attributed stigma to cultural and religious beliefs, the restrictive national abortion law, and pointed to hypocrisy. Some reported effects of stigma on providers included a feeling of insecurity, social exclusion, secrecy, and insincerity in clinical practice, discouragement, and guilt feelings. Despite the negative impacts, many respondents reported a sense of satisfaction stemming from their views that they were saving lives.
Systematic efforts to address these adverse factors could reduce the level of stigma experienced by providers, with a potential follow-through effect of improving women's access to safe abortion care in Nigeria.
全球范围内报告的堕胎耻辱感在尼日利亚这个非洲人口最多的国家没有得到充分的经验证据支持，该国的堕胎法限制严格，不安全堕胎率很高。
本研究旨在调查尼日利亚卫生专业人员经历堕胎耻辱感的方式，以及这些经历如何影响卫生专业人员安全堕胎和堕胎后护理的实践。
本研究采用定性研究，包括对 10 名堕胎提供者进行深入访谈。我们使用开放式访谈指南收集信息，调查参与者在尼日利亚堕胎耻辱感方面的经验。使用 Atlas.ti 对数据进行定性和主题分析。
主题集中在受访者对堕胎耻辱感的看法和经验上。参与者经历的堕胎耻辱感包括以下几个方面：与其他卫生专业人员待遇不同；经历不赞成和不尊重；被骂和被社会评判；反堕胎主义者给诊所贴上标签和进行形象塑造；以及社会孤立。参与者将耻辱感归因于文化和宗教信仰、国家堕胎法的限制，并指出了虚伪。一些人报告说，耻辱感对提供者产生了一些影响，包括不安全感、社会排斥、保密和临床实践中的不真诚、沮丧和内疚感。尽管存在负面影响，但许多受访者报告说，他们认为自己在拯救生命，这让他们感到满足。
有系统地努力解决这些不利因素，可以减轻提供者所经历的耻辱感程度，从而有可能改善尼日利亚妇女获得安全堕胎护理的机会。
