South African abortion attitudes from 2007-2016: the roles of religiosity and attitudes toward sexuality and gender equality

ABSTRACT

Abortion is legal in South Africa, but negative abortion attitudes remain common and are poorly understood. We used nationally representative South African Social Attitudes Survey data to analyze abortion attitudes in the case of fetal anomaly and in the case of poverty from 2007 to 2016 (n = 20,711; ages = 16+). We measured correlations between abortion attitudes and these important predictors: religiosity, attitudes about premarital sex, attitudes about preferential hiring and promotion of women, and attitudes toward family gender roles. Abortion acceptability for poverty increased over time (b = 0.05, p < .001), but not for fetal anomaly (b = ?0.008, p = .284). Highly religious South Africans reported lower abortion acceptability in both cases (Odds Ratio (OR)_anomaly = 0.85, p = .015; OR_poverty = 0.84, p = .02). Premarital sex acceptability strongly and positively predicted abortion acceptability (OR_anomaly = 2.63, p < .001; OR_poverty = 2.46, p < .001). Attitudes about preferential hiring and promotion of women were not associated with abortion attitudes, but favorable attitudes about working mothers were positively associated with abortion acceptability for fetal anomaly ((OR_anomaly = 1.09, p = .01; OR_poverty = 1.02, p = .641)). Results suggest negative abortion attitudes remain common in South Africa and are closely tied to religiosity, traditional ideologies about sexuality, and gender role expectations about motherhood.     

Celebrity Health Announcements and Online Health Information Seeking: An Analysis of Angelina Jolie’s Preventative Health Decision

On May 14, 2013, Angelina Jolie disclosed she carries BRCA1, which means she has an 87% risk of developing breast cancer during her lifetime. Jolie decided to undergo a preventative bilateral mastectomy (PBM), reducing her risk to 5%. The purpose of this study was to analyze the type of information individuals are exposed to when using the Internet to search health information regarding Jolie’s decision. Qualitative content analysis revealed four main themes—information about genetics, information about a PBM, information about health care, and information about Jolie’s gender identity. Broadly, the identified websites mention Jolie’s high risk for developing cancer due to the genetic mutation BRCA1, describe a PBM occasionally noting reasons why she had this surgery and providing alternatives to the surgery, discuss issues related to health care services, costs, and insurances about Jolie’s health decision, and portray Jolie as a sexual icon, a partner to Brad Pitt, a mother of six children, and an inspirational humanitarian. The websites also depict Jolie’s health decision in positive, negative, and/or both ways. Discussion centers on how this actress’ health decision impacts the public.