Abortion Attitudes Across Cultural Contexts : Exploring the Role of Gender Inequality, Abortion Policy, and Individual Values

Abstract

Abstract: We explored between-country and within-country variability in abortion attitudes, using country-level factors (e.g., gender equality) and individual-level factors (e.g., gender role attitudes) as predictors. Participants from Mexico ( N = 215), India ( N = 215), the United States ( N = 215), and the United Kingdom ( N = 206) were recruited via Qualtrics Panels. Regression models and ANOVAs were used to assess whether estimates of gender inequality, gender role attitudes, motherhood norms, belief in big/moralizing gods, and sexual strategy were associated with abortion attitudes. As predicted, individuals living in countries with greater gender inequality, and more restrictive abortion policy, reported more restrictive abortion attitudes and stronger support for banning abortion. Furthermore, individuals who endorsed more traditional gender role ideologies, who reported belief in big/moralizing gods and who used long-term sexual strategies also reported more restrictive abortion attitudes and stronger support for banning abortion. Exploratory analyses highlight how these relationships vary as a function of cultural context. We can conclude that both contextual factors (e.g., local abortion legislation and gender inequality) as well as individual factors (e.g., gender role attitudes and religious/spiritual belief) shape people’s attitudes toward abortion. Implications regarding the bidirectional relationship between attitudes and policy in reproductive health are discussed.

Abstract

Impact and Implications:

Abortion attitudes matter—disapproving and judgmental attitudes toward abortion may create barriers to accessing needed abortion care as well as ostracism and stigma toward those receiving abortion care. Our findings, across the United States, the United Kingdom, India, and Mexico, demonstrate that achievement of gender equality (United Nations’ SDG #5) and promoting well-being and healthy lives for all at all ages (SDG #3) will depend on addressing both individual beliefs (i.e., beliefs about supernatural punishment, attitudes about people’s roles in society as a function of their gender, and attitudes about casual sex) and institutional structures (i.e., gender inequality and abortion legislation) that stand against safe and accessible abortion care for all.