Systematic review finds moderate abortion stigma in high-income countries
Mar 6th 2026
A systematic review of 19 studies shows abortion stigma remains common at moderate levels in wealthy countries, is linked to gender, income, politics and religion, and is mainly documented in US-based research.
- A mixed-method review of 19 studies found abortion stigma persists at moderate levels in high-income countries.
- Stigma was stronger among males, people with lower income, political conservatives, and religious individuals.
- Close contact with someone who had an abortion and having no biological children were linked to lower stigma.
- Qualitative studies documented stereotypes that abortion is killing babies, is sinful, or shows moral corruption by providers.
- Some participants in qualitative studies endorsed punitive responses toward people who seek or provide abortions.
- Most studies in the review were from the United States, limiting how well the results generalize to other high-income countries.
- The paper, "Abortion stigma amongst the public in high-income countries: a mixed-method systematic review," was published in Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters and authored by Jana Niemann and colleagues.