Research Topic
The topic of abortion has long been the subject of heated debate. However, studies investigating the causes of abortion did not appear immediately due to confidentiality and the lack of such discussions (Biggs et al., 2013). Chae et al. (2017) utilized seven categories for investigating the causes of abortion. They concern a woman’s desire to have children or postpone the birth of a child, the relationships with a partner, socioeconomic reasons, the age, and the risks to mother’s or baby’s health. Biggs et al. (2013) divide the reasons into “women-focused,” “other-focused,” and material ones. Despite the variety of names and the different scientific approaches to categorization, almost all reasons relate to the external or internal causes of a particular woman. The causes of abortion are not universal around the world; they vary depending on the country and region of residence. This paper depends on the research methods, their duration, and the correspondents.
Research Question
What are the main causes of abortion?
Literature Review
A woman’s decision to have an abortion can hardly be independent because several factors prevent the autonomy of the choice. Such factors are religion, which determines moral norms, the policy within which laws are passed, and education, which include sex education in paricular (Frederico et al., 2018). According to Frederico et al. (2018), “98% (aborts) took place in developing countries, with 41% (8.7 million) being performed on women aged 15 to 24” (p.329). This fact indicates a considerable influx of social systems on the personal choice of a particular woman. Moreover, “in 2008, of the 43.8 million induced abortions, 21.6 million were estimated to be unsafe” that poses a threat not only to the physical safety of a particular person but also to the entire medical system (Frederico et al., 2018, p.329). The MMR of a country largely depends on the quality of abortions and the number of decisions to perform them.
Residence also has an impact on women’s decision to have an abortion. Thus, the results conducted in the United States from 2005 to 2008 show that there was a slight decrease in the number of abortions in the South and West. While there was no noticeable change in the Northwest and Midwest (Biggs et al., 2013). Frederico et al. (2018) investigated the causes of abortion of Mozambican women and found that poor areas of residence had a direct impact on the decision to have an abortion. The study, which focused on a survey of Turkish women from 2003 to 2008, found that women in rural areas were less likely to have abortions than those in urban areas (Ankara, 2017). Thus, the region is not a constant factor in such studies; it is a unit that reflects the relationship with other factors such as changes in the economy and social status.
Unlike residence, economic status is one of the determinants of research. Biggs et al. (2013) state that in the USA (2008-2010), “A financial reason (40%) was the most frequently mentioned theme. Six percent of women mentioned this as their only reason for seeking abortion” (p.33). In Sweden, financial reasons have shifted slightly in the rankings and are in the third place, behind the personal choice of women to postpone childbirth (Chae et al., 2017). Ankara (2017) identifies the relationship of low-quality education with later employment problems and the impact of early marriage on the subsequent arrangement of family life. In Kenyan study, Rehnström et al. (2018) note that “pregnancy termination provided the respondents with the potential for continued employment and secured economic independence”; thus, a notion of a single mother also influences decision-making. Hence, financial factors are always inextricably linked with social ones and reflect the current policies.
Given that a woman’s social status has a relation to her education in most of the cases, some scholars have investigated the impact of education on abortion decisions. Väisänen (2016) states that women with lower levels of education are more prone to first and especially repeat abortions. The researcher explains this fact by possible ignorance about the use of condoms, as well as the weak institution of family planning. Inadequate education is also associated with low awareness of abortion laws, so many are afraid of wrongdoing and perform abortions in unsafe conditions. Rehnström et al. (2018) assert that the lack of a clear explanation of when abortion is considered legal leads to high maternal mortality in Kenya. The factor of low awareness of the laws is one most crucial in the Mozambican study, too (Frederico et al., 2018). Thus, the level of education has a direct impact on the number of unsafe abortions and the MMR.
Relationship-related issues also play a significant role in deciding to have an abortion. Biggs et al. (2013) state that “nearly one third (31%) of respondents gave partner-related reasons for seeking an abortion” in the USA from 2008 to 2010. In Sweden, 32% of reasons had a relation to men’s influence on women compared with the same percentage of decisions based on financial insecurity (Chae et al., 2017). According to Frederico et al. (2018), two Mozambican women out of fourteen correspondents a reported partner’s influence on their decision to make abortions at home, avoiding traditional medicine. Other causes include the partner’s unwillingness to leave or recognize a baby or change of partner’s behavior (Frederico et al., 2018). These facts lead to the conclusion that the partner’s influence on the decision to abort is perhaps the most significant of all factors.
Another factor that affects the number of abortions is a woman’s decision to postpone the birth of a child, which competes in percentage with the influence of a partner. Biggs et al. (2013) assert that “over one third (36%) of respondents stated reasons related to timing” in the USA. The Swedish study indicates that this percentage is even higher and is as high as 60% (Chae et al., 2017). In these two countries, the desire to postpone pregnancy was primarily due to high employment and the intention to build a career first. Many respondents stated that it would be difficult for them to combine study with work (Biggs et al., 2013). In contrast, a Kenyan study found that the desire to postpone childbirth was linked to the expectations of others, too (Rehnström et al., 2018). Thus, the factor of “wrong timing” can be associated with both a woman’s personal decision and the external pressure too.
Other causes one should consider are age and gender inequality. Ankara (2017) states that “abortion increased slightly with increasing age, and decreased with increasing age at first marriage,” researching the Turkish women’s decisions to abort between 2003 and 2008 (p.109). In American research, two percent of women reported being too old to have a child (Biggs et al., 2013). One can observe this trend in many countries: a more mature age perceives the planning of the child, but older age prevents this. Mozambican women in their decision to have an abortion depended on gender inequality (Frederico et al., 2018), as well as Kenyan ones since, in Kenya, society is patriarchal (Rehnström et al., 2018). Hence, these factors are not the most driving, but they determine the social context.
Religion and ethnicity are vital factors in this research, too. Väisänen (2016) states that that non-native Finns had a lower level of education and, accordingly, financial opportunities, so they were the ones who performed the most abortions. On the contrary, Turkish women were more likely to make abortions than Kurdish women due to higher fertility rates (Ankara, 2017). According to American statistics, white people performed the most abortions (37%) compared to black people (29%) and Hispanic (21%) (Biggs et al., 2013). Religion is a crucial component, too, as it determines the moral norms and rules of conduct. Women in Kenya predominantly practice Christianity, which is why abortion is a sin in their view (Rehnström et al., 2018). However, in Turkey, religion did not influence decision-making to a high degree (Ankara, 2017). Other reasons mentioned in the studies include lack of support and counseling, lack of emotional preparation, the presence of other children, and influence from parents and friends.
Conclusion
In conclusion, several factors influence a woman’s choice to have an abortion. These factors are related to the economy, society, and previous experience. In developing countries, women often make decisions under the aggressive influence of family and community. Such women generally have a low level of education and awareness of legal laws. That is why the MMR is high in these regions, and there is a need for particular social institutions. In developed countries, women decide to have an abortion due to financial instability, because they can have other children, study, and work at the same time. In almost all the studied regions, the influence of the partner was decisive. All this points to the need to inform the vulnerable population about the laws and means of contraception. Moreover, all the women should get the necessary support
from the state and the family.
References
Ankara, H. (2017). Socioeconomic variations in induced abortions in Turkey. Journal of Biosocial Science, 49(1), 99-122. doi:10.1017/S0021932016000158
Biggs, M. A., Gould, H., & Foster, D. G. (2013). Understanding why women seek abortions in the US. BMC Women’s Health, 13(1), 29-41. doi:10.1186/1472-6874-13-29
Chae, S., Desai, S., Crowell, M., & Sedgh, G. (2017). Reasons why women have induced abortions: A synthesis of findings from 14 countries. Contraception, 96(4), 233–241. doi:10.1016/j.contraception.2017.06.014
Frederico, M., Michielsen, K., Arnaldo, C., & Decat, P. (2018). Factors influencing abortion decision-making processes among young women. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(2), 329-341. doi:10.3390/ijerph15020329
Rehnström Loi, U., Lindgren, M., Faxelid, E., Oguttu, M., & Klingberg-Allvin, M. (2018). Decision-making preceding induced abortion: A qualitative study of women’s experiences in Kisumu, Kenya. Reproductive Health 15(166).
Väisänen, H. (2016). Educational inequalities in repeat abortions: A longitudinal register study in Finland 1975-2010. Journal of Biosocial Science, 48(6), 820-832. doi:10.1017/S002193201600016X