THE EXPERIENCES OF PREGNANT WOMEN WHO REQUEST AN ABORTION

Abstract

Pregnancy is a complex part of being a woman – it encompasses sexuality, a relationship,confrontation with contraception, the realisation of being pregnant, decisions and consequences(McCulloch, 1996:25). Mogano (1999:10) and Zimmerman (1997:15) agree that the discoveryof an unwanted pregnancy evokes a variety of feelings in the woman, which lead to emotionalturmoil. Feelings that are experienced range from ambivalence, surprise, happiness aboutfertility, fear of foetal abnormality, fear of birth, joy over motherhood, anger, feelings of guilt,confusion and shame, to anxiety about the social, economic, educational and emotionalconsequences of the pregnancy.

Keywords

• pregnant women
• an abortion