Running head: THE DEPRESSION OF MEN IN RELATION TO ABORTION 1

Mental Health of Men in Relation to Abortion

Chyna Spencer

The University of North Carolina at Pembroke

DEPRESSION OF MEN IN RELATION TO ABORTION 2

Abstract

This research proposal will discuss the effects of men’s emotional health as a result of

induced abortion. The Centers for Decease Control (CDC) defines abortion as “an intervention

performed by a licensed clinician that is intended to terminate an ongoing pregnancy” (CDC,

2018). Throughout the paper there will be topics on several research concerning men and

abortion. There will also state the social stigmas that men face, emotional challenges, and

statistical evidence provided within the review.

Key words: abortion, mental health, unplanned pregnancy, men’s rights

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Introduction

When it comes to men experiencing an abortion one might say it is rarely thought about.

Actually, not nearly as much research has been done on abortions and how it affects men as it

has with women. There are many factors that can affect a man’s mental health due to abortion

and there are also many reasons as to why they may be struggling with coping after an abortion

experience.

Background

Abortion is considered a very vital part of the U.S. Constitution. In fact, a woman’s

decision to have an abortion is protected from federal and state-level interference through legal

precedents (Nguyen, Hebert, Newton, & Gilliam, 2018). In 1973, a Supreme court case by the

name of Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton stressed women’s rights to their bodies and privacy in

means to abortion (Nguyen, Hebert, Newton, & Gilliam, 2018). The rights for woman and

abortion has been challenged a lot throughout the years since it has been deemed legal. However,

in some midwestern and southern states such as Missouri and Oklahoma, there have been

changes towards abortion laws-varying in different states that may allow men to be more

inclusive in the abortion process (Law, 2019). For example, recently in 2017, the state of

Oklahoma’s House of Representatives passed a bill to prohibit a woman from obtaining an

abortion without first identifying and attesting to the consent of her male partner (Oklahoma

House Bill No. 1441, 2017). This new bill has been modified because of the exclusion of males

during abortions in the past caused by social stigmas of male's inability to be supportive,

uninvolved, and resistance to show responsibility and play a positive role (Reich & Brindis,

2006). These statements aid in the continuing cycle of discrimination and stigmas against men

and their roles in abortion today.

DEPRESSION OF MEN IN RELATION TO ABORTION 4

Significance of the Study

There are many reasons as to why men's inclusion rights in abortion should be studied.

For example, there are many clinics that do not provide men with the same treatment as women,

and sometimes preventing them from entering abortion clinics, participating in counseling

sessions, being present during the procedure and waiting in the recovery room (Papworth, 2011).

Research proves that men show increased signs of depression and loss when their partners

experience induced abortion (Coyle, & Rue, 2010). Furthermore, clinicians exclaimed how men

who do not handle their grief properly may have complications mourning (Speckhard & Rue,

1993) while also experiencing increased feelings of doubt when it comes to masculinity and

belonging. (Rue, 1985, 1996). This leads to the possibility of depression and unresolved

emotions within males. It is apparent that countless amounts of evidenced-based research show

that women undergo depression, PTSD, and feelings of loneliness, but, is this the same for men?

When men are put into the same context as abortion, it is of relation to how they can and should

support their female partners. However, “men need to be recognized in their own right and not

solely as a means of improving the abortion outcome for women,” (Papworth, 2011, p. 37).

Further research on men’s role and mental health status in abortion experiences may cause a

positive influence on the recovery or coping process for men in correlation to abortion.

Challenges Faced by Men

It seems to be a continuous issue that men do not receive the same opportunity and

treatment as women during and after an abortion. In fact, most men expect more involvement in

longer relationships than in short affairs (Sharp, Richtar & Rutherford, 2014). In addition to this,

nearly half of all pregnancies are unplanned, with four out of ten ending in abortion (Oberman &

Ball, 2019). In this case, men tend to be left out of the loop leaving some men feeling desperate
DEPRESSION OF MEN IN RELATION TO ABORTION 5

to have some equality and rights to the decision making in an abortion process. In 1992, Planned

Parenthood of Southeastern Pa. v. Casey (a supreme court case), came about in hopes to pass a

law that required women to obtain documentation of her husband’s consent of the abortion

(Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pa. v. Casey, 1992). This law was overruled, but, if it had

not been overturned this would have given men veto power over a woman’s personal rights as an

attempt for men to earn inclusiveness in abortion decision making (Oberman & Ball, 2019).

Men’s Role in Abortion

There have been several thoughts as to where exactly do men fit in when it comes to

abortion rights, expectations, and responsibilities. As stated previously, men do not have any

rights when it comes to women getting an abortion, however, according to the Women’s Public

Health and Safety Act under the circumstances of incest, rape, or threats to the mother’s life a

doctor can in fact perform an abortion procedure as well as bill the surgery to Medicaid. (Duffy,

2019). With this, under the U.S Federal Law in section 228 of title 18, if a woman were to decide

to give birth, the biological father may be obligated to provide finical support to the child or face

jail time for 2 years (Citizen’s Guide to U.S. Federal Law on Child Support Enforcement, 2017).

In some cases, this is considered unfair to a lot of men or a lose-lose situation on their behalf.

Several men are placed in confusing situations where they may either be expected to play

a support role or a nonexclusive role when it comes to abortion. For example, a study was

conducted by Jackson, Karasz, and Gold (2011) in a community health center in the Bronx, New

York on the importance of male partner role when it comes to women’s contraception,

pregnancy prevention, and decision making. Resulting in many men, 75% to be exact, admitting

that they experienced their first pregnancy at young ages, 18-31, with 35% resulting in abortions.

By the end of the study, most of the men exclaimed how they felt as though they had to own up
DEPRESSION OF MEN IN RELATION TO ABORTION 6

to their “mistakes”, with one participant expressing “I figured I was going to have to become a

man, you know, a real man. A mature man . . . I probably even started speaking with more bass

in my voice. I knew things had to change. (Participant #3, 41 years old, Hispanic, nine

pregnancies, one child)” (Jackson, Karasz, & Gold, 2011 p. 5). Also, some men expressed their

first time with pregnancy to be a life changing experience, while giving the opportunity to grow

as a man (Jackson, Karasz, & Gold, 2011).

Societal Viewpoints

Society can have very strong opinions on sensitive subjects such as abortion. Some

women believe that it is their human right to have complete control over their bodies, on the

other hand, some people who may disagree with this. However, when it comes to men having

rights over their unborn child, they do not. In fact, it is by law that men do not have any rights

when it comes to abortion (Mavroforou, Koumantakis, & Michalodimitrakis, 2010). This is

likely because many people agree that the final decision goes to the carrier of the child.

Abortion is a very stigmatized topic and is typically kept secret from society, family and

friends. It is true that the disclosure of abortion is kept secret by most women who have

experienced it. However, under some circumstances the secret is shared by more than the

woman, making confidentiality an issue during the abortion process (Norris, Bessett. Steinberg,

Kavanaugh, De Zordo, & Becker, 2011). Women have no control of who may discover their

personal information in regards to their abortion (Norris, Bessett. Steinberg, Kavanaugh, De

Zordo, & Becker, 2011). The same goes for men-the male partner- who are not fully in control of

who could possibly know their personal business. Unfortunately, both women and men fear of

being open and honest with people because of the social stigma and judgments behind their

decisions of abortion (Norris, Bessett. Steinberg, Kavanaugh, De Zordo, & Becker, 2011).
DEPRESSION OF MEN IN RELATION TO ABORTION 7

Studies have shown that society plays a major role in the on going negative social stigmas

(Norris, Bessett. Steinberg, Kavanaugh, De Zordo, & Becker, 2011). For instance, several anti-

abortion laws have been passed-in select states- throughout the recent years. In fact, the new

anti-abortion laws make it harder for women to receive an abortion (Gee, 2011). As a result, this

may cause people to feel the need to follow social norms. As stated earlier, there is a possibility

that many people have fear of being judged by their peers after making the decision to have an

abortion.

Factors of Men’s Depression

Gender equality has been a large movement for quite some time now. Actually, society

creates gender norms that automatically label people as male or female and expect them to

behave in the manner of what society thinks they should be (Fleming, Lee, & Dworkin, 2014).

Previous research has found that men who follow the norms of masculinity have worse mental

health and general well-being than other men (Fleming, Lee, & Dworkin, 2014). In addition to

this, men are not provided with the same treatment or opportunities as women are in regards to

abortion. For instance, men do not have access to the same services as women, such as therapy,

mental assessments, and after care treatments (Papworth, 2011). Abortion clinics tend to be more

concerned with women’s well-being, while men are only present as supporters (Papworth, 2011).

When it comes to a man’s well-being after an abortion there is not much research provided on

the topic other than labeling them as some type of support role. So, in turn there must be more

efforts made to make healthcare professionals, clinics, nurses, doctors, etc more aware of how to

provide the appropriate care to both the woman and man during an abortion process. In doing

this, it may enhance more positive coping mechanisms after this sensitive time.

Research Question & Hypothesis

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Research Question

Within the United States, there remains issues regarding the process of abortion and how

it affects the feelings and attitudes that men have towards abortion rights. These feelings may

include regret, shame, or loneliness due to a lack of counseling services for male partners, which

could also lead to depression. Furthermore, the stigma of society has developed an idea that most

men cannot have opinions on abortion because legally it is not their given right. However, there

has been little research done in regard to the roles of men during abortion and how they are

affected mentally after the experience. In addition to this, there are not many, if any, services that

are provided for men during the abortion process. Therefore, more research must be proposed

and studied in order to create a sense of gender equality between women and men while going

through the process of an abortion. The presenting research question supports the research

needed for future studies: Other than being stigmatized as support characters or being excluded

from the abortion process entirely, in what ways are men mentally and emotionally effected by

abortion? The study of men’s mental health in relation to abortion will focus on a series of

aspects that discuss men’s emotional health, societal and legal exclusion to abortion, and

differences in perspective after their experience with abortions. However, the effect that

abortions have on the emotional health of men will be the main focus of this study.

Hypothesis

Generally, a majority of men will not discuss their feelings after they have experienced

abortion, but, if the need for inclusiveness and equal value of men’s well-being in abortion is

stressed, then it will result in an increase of positive effects on men’s emotional health and

coping experiences.
DEPRESSION OF MEN IN RELATION TO ABORTION 9

Operationalizing Variables & Measurement of Variables

Formal Definitions of Variables

There are several variables used in this research study, therefore professional definitions

of each are necessary to create a comprehensive understanding of the meaning of each term. In

this particular study, the meaning of abortion is a medical or surgical procedure conducted by a

licensed clinical meant to abort a pregnancy (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018).

According to Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, the meaning of a man (male) is “an

individual that produces small usually motile gametes (as sperm or spermatozoa) which fertilize

the eggs of a female” (Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, 2016). Mental health is defined as

a person’s status of well-being, and it can determine things such as their emotions, social, and

physical health factors. It also controls how well a person is able handle daily life stressors

(Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018). More specifically than mental health,

depression is a treatable yet serious mental disorder that effects how one feels and acts. It causes

feelings of gloom and often comes with several symptoms such as, sleepiness, antisocial

behaviors, and thoughts or feelings of suicide (American Psychiatric Association, 2017). In this

study, the exclusion of men in abortion will act as the independent variable while the negative

effects of men’s mental health (depression) will act as the dependent variable.

Measurement of Variables

Each variable will be measured in a series of open-ended questions, using an interview

guide (see Appendix) that will consist of eight descriptive questions. In addition to this, each

question will be formatted that will allow each participant to answer in full sentences in

paragraph form.
DEPRESSION OF MEN IN RELATION TO ABORTION 10

Sampling

Sampling Strategy

For the purpose of this study, the use of a non-probability sampling will be necessary. In

other words, it will restrict everyone within the community of having an equal chance of being

selected (Pettus-davis, Grady, Cuddeback, & Scheyett, 2011). This is due to the fact that this

particular sample is strictly targeted towards men who have experienced abortion. Using the non-

probability sampling method will also insure that this study is not exposed to the broader

population because it does not apply to everyone (Pettus-davis, Grady, Cuddeback, & Scheyett,

2011). Furthermore, by using purposive sampling it will aid in narrowing the sample population

down into the specific categories of men-depression-and abortion. There will be no random

sampling techniques used in this study.

Limitations

The study will not be random and will target a specific population, however, there are

possible limitations to doing a purposive, non-probability sampling method. For instance, when

gathering information from a specific group the possibility of bias results or misrepresentation

due to a homogeneous population (Jawale, 2012). In addition to this, there could also be

misconceptions in the information being gathered. Often times when people are being studied or

questioned it may alter their responses or behavior. Since there is no randomized sampling in this

study, the margin of error is slim to none but still possible to some degree. Lastly, this is a study

gathering information on males’ experiences of abortion and how it impacted their depression if

there are more men who have experienced more positive experiences than negative in the

interviews, then it would defeat the purpose of the study.

DEPRESSION OF MEN IN RELATION TO ABORTION 11

Participants

For this study the participants will be chosen from Fayetteville, North Carolina. The male

population of Fayetteville can be considered large, which will make it easy to break down into a

smaller group that is specific to the sample. A flyer to post outside of family planning clinics and

private care facilities, such as gynecologist offices, would suffice for the said study. The flyer

will include the purpose of study, to conduct a narrative interview to gather information on the

emotional effects of men who have experienced abortion, contact information, date and time of

the interview with a posted insensitive of $10 for those who participate. However, due to

confidential purposes, they must provide a means of contact in order to receive more

information. In doing this, the chances of receiving participants of at least eight to ten people will

increase significantly.

Inclusions, Exclusion, and Ethical Issues

People who qualify as participants for this study must be of the male sex, a citizen of the

United States, and have experienced abortion. In contrast, females who have or have not

experienced abortion are excluded from the study as well as those who are male who have not

experienced abortion. Also, some ethical standards to take into consideration would be that of

confidentiality. It is crucial that all participants are aware that this study is deemed confidential

and not anonymous since their identities will be acknowledged.

Research Design

Description

The study of men’s depression in relation to abortion will be a narrative research design.

Since this is a noninterventional qualitative research study, there will be a onetime interview set
DEPRESSION OF MEN IN RELATION TO ABORTION 12

in place to gather specific information on men’s experiences, thoughts, and feelings after going

through an abortion experience/s. Furthermore, a narrative interview is meant to collect data

from individuals’ experiences while recording movements within the dynamics of society that

explains the meaning of life (Charmaz & McMullen, 2011). Using the narrative research design

will enhance the level of knowledge gained for researchers of the negative effects that men face

due to abortion.

Advantages & Disadvantages

Some advantages of doing a narrative research design would be that collecting several

different types of stories, interviews, and experiences are all embraced. Narrative research also

uses several different approaches and can be conducted in as many interviews as needed.

Furthermore, instead of looking for inconsistences or unreliable measures, narrative research

focuses on real life situations in it which explains human behaviors and choices in a broader

context. On the other hand, some disadvantages would be that there may not be enough

participants to do the study. Since this is considered a taboo topic it may be difficult for

applicable participants to discuss their personal experiences to a stranger. Also, there are

limitations to collecting large amounts of data at once due to the use of fewer participants for this

study. Lastly, there is the possibly of bias of the researcher, for, it is up to a researcher to decide

correctly on what is deemed relevant or not for that specific examination of study.

Data Collection

Method & Obtained Information

Information for this study will be collected by hosting an interview with eight to ten male

participants that will focus on their thoughts, feelings, and attitudes after experiencing abortion
DEPRESSION OF MEN IN RELATION TO ABORTION 13

to which may have led to depression. The reasoning for using an interview guide is collect

valuable information from a small sample of people who obtain similar relations in the topic of

abortion. The goal is to find any type of common variables or symptoms of each participant that

would ultimately support the hypothesis of the study. To see the interview guide, see Appendix.

Ethical Considerations

When gathering personal experiences, stories, and thoughts of others it is important that

all participants understand confidentiality, privacy, consent, and anonymity. It is crucial that all

participant’s personal information remain private in regard to confidentiality. Also, it is

important that each participant agrees to do the study, especially when doing narrative

interviewing because complete anonymity may be limited since narrative interviews could

possibly be held in group sessions instead of one-on-one interviews.

Conclusion

In conclusion, males seem to experience and cope with abortion in different ways than

women. Men tend to keep such emotional traumas to themselves and feel the need to support the

female while dismissing their own personal feelings in the circumstance of abortion (Canário ,

Figueiredo & Ricou, 2011). There has not been enough research done on the effects of men’s

emotional health after their experiences of abortion, resulting in a continuation of emotional

distress. The goal of this study is to collect data on men’s experiences, stories, and feelings of

abortion in hopes of influencing positive impacts, such as increased levels of competency of the

society, the quality of services provided by health care agencies, and inclusiveness for men.
 DEPRESSION OF MEN IN RELATION TO ABORTION 14

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Appendix

Interview Guide

1. Did your partner consult with you first about the decision of the abortion? If not, explain how

you felt about not being included in the decision.

2. Under what circumstance/s influenced the decision to have the abortion?

3. What types of services were you offered before and after the abortion procedure?

4. How would you describe the status of the relationship between you and your partner at the time

of the abortion?

5. What are your feelings towards your partner/previous partner now?

6. Do you feel as though you were treated equally in comparison to the woman? If not, please

explain what specific events took place to make you feel this way?

7. How would you describe the way you felt after the abortion? This can also include thoughts.

8. Would you participate in an abortion procedure again? Explain your reasoning for your answer.

9. If you were to give advice to another man who is about to experience his first abortion, what

advice would you give him?