Reasons and feelings of women who have experienced abortion

Abstract

Study developed with the objective of knowing the reasons that led women to have abortion and to understand the feelings during the experience. Descriptive-exploratory research with qualitative approach, conducted at a public maternity hospital in Fortaleza-CE, from April to June of 2002. The sample consisted of seven women who were hospitalized due to abortion. The analysis revealed that the reasons for having abortion were: age, the economical factor, profession, malformation, family and social pressure, while the feelings expressed during abortion were: guilt, fear of being punished, fear of dying, tension and remorse. The results showed that some women who had abortion knew somebody that had already had it. Although abortion is regulated by the law, it is a constant in our reality, due to the woman’s social and economical circumstances, deserving greater attention.