From “Bad” and “Good” Motivations to Abort to “Bad” and “Good” Women: Abortion Stigma and Backlash Against Women Who Interrupt Their Pregnancy

IntroductionAbortion is a health practice that people might choose for a variety of reasons. In public discourse, a subtle hierarchy of legitimacy frequently emerges in relation to abortion' motivations, thereby establishing an implicit distinction between abortions deemed acceptable or justifiable and those considered unacceptable or unjustifiable.MethodsWe conducted an experimental study to examine the impact of different motivations commonly perceived as "good and acceptable" (i.e., health risks or rape) and "bad and unacceptable" (i.e., lack of desire to have a child or incompatibility between women's lives and their careers) on the stigmatization of women who choose to abort (i.e., moral outrage and attribution of humanness) and the perceived severity of hostile behaviors against them.ResultsFindings show that participants experienced more moral outrage towards the woman when she chose to abort for "bad and unacceptable" reasons (vs. "good and acceptable"), attributed her less humanness, and perceived hostile behaviors toward her as less severe. In addition, we found that "bad and unacceptable" reasons influenced participants' perceptions of hostile behaviors through the mediation of moral outrage and the attribution of humanness to her.Conclusions and Policy ImplicationsHighlighting motivations for abortion reinforces not only the divide between "good" and "bad" abortions but also between "good" and "bad" women. The key conclusions, limitations, and directions for the future are explored in the context of combating abortion stigma and backlash, ultimately advocating for reproductive justice.