FACTS ABOUT COERCION
The reasons women “choose” abortion can be complex, but many women are coerced, to a greater or lesser degree, into undergoing abortions by others.
“Coerced abortion as “one of the most unrecognised and insidious forms of domestic abuse. Typically 75 per cent of the women who summon up the courage and bravery to make a call for help regarding an abortion were pressurised or bullied into having one, in almost all cases by the man involved.”- a post abortion counsellor. [1]
“That men have long coerced women into unwanted abortion when it suits their purposes is well-known but rarely mentioned. Data reported by the Alan Guttmacher Institute indicate that some 30 percent of women have an abortion because someone else, not the woman, wants it.”[2] ethicist Daniel Callahan, director of the Hastings Center.
The problem
A SavantaComRes poll commissioned by the BBC found that 15% of women aged 18-44 had been pressured into having an abortion they didn’t want.[3]
An academic study found that 64% of American women and 37% of Russian women who had abortions reported that they “felt pressured by others”.[4]
In a survey of women who were dissatisfied with their abortions, 39% reported they were “very much” pressured by others and a total of 73% reported some degree of pressure from others.[5]
The impact on women
Coercion and pressure are well-established risk factors for women coming to terms with their abortion. “Perceived pressure from others to terminate a pregnancy” has been identified as a factor “associated with more negative psychological reactions.”[6]
A study of 252 post-abortive women who suffered psychological consequences reported that 53% felt “forced” into the abortion by others, and 65 percent felt “forced” by their circumstances. Only 33 percent felt “free” to make their own decisions.[7]
Informed consent
Abortion coercion is not just a tragedy, it goes against a fundamental of medical ethics and international law – the principle of consent. The NHS states: “For consent to be valid, it must be voluntary and informed, and the person consenting must have the capacity to make the decision.”
The meaning of voluntary is – “the decision to either consent or not to consent to treatment must be made by the person, and must not be influenced by pressure from medical staff, friends or family.”
It is clear that this criteria is often not met in the context of abortion. Action is needed to ensure that no woman’s rights are breached
[2] Daniel Callahan, “An Ethical Challenge to Pro-choice Advocates,” Commonweal, Nov. 23, 1990, 681-687, 684.
[3] https://comresglobal.com/polls/reproductive-coercion-poll-bbc-radio-4-8-march-2022/
[4] Rue VM, Coleman PK, Rue JJ, Reardon DC. Induced abortion and traumatic stress: a preliminary comparison of American and Russian women. Med Sci Monit. 2004 Oct;10(10):SR5-16. Epub 2004 Sep 23. PMID: 15448616.
[5] Reardon, DC. Aborted Women: Silent No More. Springfield, IL: Acorn Books; 2002. Study from Appendix Two, http://www.abortionfacts.com/reardon/statistics.asp Accessed Dec. 3, 2011
[6] American Psychological Association, Task Force on Mental Health and Abortion. Report of the Task Force on Mental Health and Abortion. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association; 2008. http://www.apa.org/pi/wpo/mentalhealth-abortion-report.pdf Accessed Dec. 3, 2011.
[7]Davis NJ. PASSAGE THROUGH ABORTION: THE PERSONAL AND SOCIAL REALITY OF WOMEN’S EXPERIENCES. Mary K. Zimmerman. New York: Praeger Publishers, 1977, pp. 222. Urban Life. 1981;9(4):501-504.