Unga kvinnors upplevelser av abort

Abstract

Background: How a young woman approaches an abortion and how she handles its emotional impact is influenced by many factors. Mixed emotions about terminating a pregnancy are common to women of all backgrounds and circumstances. Aim: To illuminate young women´s experiences of abortions. Method: The study was based on literature from online databases and printed materials and involved the analysis of ten articles and one thesis. Result: Women contemplating abortion experience mixed emotions before, during, and after an abortion. Despite mixed or conflicting feelings of guilt, grief, and shame, in addition to relief, most women do not regret having an abortion. A woman’s ability to accept the experience, and her feelings about it, is affected by the support and understanding of her family, friends and health care staff. Conclusion: Further studies in this field are requested in order to gain additional knowledge and increase nurses understanding on how to treat women who have an abortion