Providing abortion: health professional's experiences

What is it about?

The work people do, whether paid or unpaid, forms a huge part of their lives. Sociologists are interested in different types of work, and what that work means to the people who do it. One type of work which is not very commonly talked about, and which has changed quite significantly in the last few decades, is abortion provision, that is, the work done by health professionals (nurses, doctors, healthcare assistants) who care for women undergoing abortion. This paper looks at how health professionals in Scotland talk about this work, the aspects they find challenging, and the work they do to enable women having 'early medical abortion' (that is, abortion under 9 weeks of pregnancy, using medication rather than surgery) to manage the process in their own homes, instead of in hospital.

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Why is it important?

We think it is important to understand how health professionals experience this work, and to make it clear to others exactly what it is they do, in order to help challenge the stigma and taboo associated with undergoing and providing abortion. We also aim to improve understanding of what is required for women to safely self-manage medical abortion at home, as this becomes increasingly more common practice for abortion early in pregnancy.