Stigma Of Abortion

Abortion is an ongoing and controversial topic that is continuously being overlooked. Heads immediately turn away, eyes are no longer making contact, looking down instead, because the ground seems to appear more worthy of attention than the effects of the controversy and stigma of abortion on young girls. Abortion is a topic that is often slept upon; the silence of this ongoing issue continues to rise and the stigma associated with abortion spreads and terrorizes the minds of young girls. The silence and stigma on abortion creates a difficulty for young girls to seek a safe haven to lean on - or relate to the experiences of others. Consequently, this leads to a sense of shame, regret, and humiliation towards teen girls who have had an abortion

Religious and cultural factors shapes the perception and beliefs of abortion in young girls, often times, only one choice is accepted when brought up with the topic of abortion - thus, restricting the freedom to choose and creating a sense of fear in young girls. The debate and controversy of abortion is a widespread problem that would be something one would assume would be discussed about; however, that does not tend to happen. Society has maintained an absolute silence on the topic of abortion, only being whispered in secrecy and conversed in enclosed four walls.

Abortion stigma is the societal belief and perception that abortion is shameful. This stigma is personified by disorderly protesters, who, at every chance, scream in women's faces and carry gruesome signs about ‘anti-abortion’. In the early 1900s, many considered abortion as the murder of another human being, and prohibited abortion under all circumstances. As a result, this ideology created the stigma of abortion; in which people believed abortion was not morally accepted: if a woman chose to have an abortion, she is viewed as a murderer,

Women’s experiences with abortions are often viewed through the lens of political and cultural battles. Strong viewpoints and beliefs on abortion develop amongst society, and drilled into the minds of young boys and girls. The population is divided between two opposing groups; those who identify themselves as pro-choice or pro-life, and the outliers torn between the values and beliefs of the two groups. From decades ago to present day, still, society is constantly arguing on which choice is deemed as ‘correct’ and ‘ethical’ (Ramos, 2017). Outside of abortion clinics to the crowded streets of downtown, individuals and groups can be seen protesting against the idea of abortions. Oftentimes, in the topic of sexuality and abortion, society puts more pressure and expectations towards females. If a woman makes the decision to have an abortion, they are expected to be apologetic, and feel a sense of regret and embarrassment (2017). They are labelled as irresponsible, heartless ‘sluts’ who only desire consequence-free sex. However, if she says that she feels relieved after having an abortion, society will judge her for not portraying the image of what is ‘expected’ after an abortion. Despite the woman’s own reasoning and private decision to have an abortion, for some individuals, no argument or reason could justify an abortion. Yet, with the negative stereotypes