Moral judgement and shame

A woman may hope to be pregnant one day in the future, but not necessarily right now.



MSF’s experience, in countries such as Colombia, Greece, Mozambique and South Africa, to name just a few, has confirmed the diversity of woman and girls facing an unwanted pregnancy: married and unmarried, women with children and girls that still go to school, urban women with education and those from rural villages.



Some have been using contraception that failed, or ran out due to interrupted supply. Some have been coerced into pregnancy; or become pregnant due to sexual violence. Others have faced financial and emotional hardship, with and without partners or family support. Some have been caught up in a humanitarian crisis, and fled for their lives.



There can be as much shame and stigma attached to the circumstances that created the unwanted pregnancy as the contemplation of abortion itself. Like the young woman from Jean-Paul’s neighbourhood, this means many questions need to be faced alone. Who can I turn to? Where can I go for the help? What are my options? What will it cost? Will it be painful? What will happen to me? What if I can never have children again? What will this mean for me and my family if people find out?