Correlates of perceived and internalized stigma among abortion patients in the USA: an exploration by race and Hispanic ethnicity

Abstract

This study estimated the proportion of abortion patients in the USA reporting perceived and internalized stigma, and assessed associations between those outcomes and women's sociodemographic, reproductive, and situational characteristics by race/ethnicity from a nationally representative dataset. Two-thirds of women reported that some people would look down on them if they knew about the abortion, and more than half of the respondents reported needing to keep their abortion a secret from friends and family. Associations between women's characteristics and abortion stigma varied by race/ethnicity. Results indicate that many abortion patients in the USA perceive and internalize stigma; certain subgroups of women are more likely to perceive or internalize stigma than others.