Interaction of culture and grief amongst women who terminated a pregnancy in adolescence: A narrative approach.
Botshelo R Sebola
PMID 34879686WHAT IT FOUND
Eleven women who terminated a pregnancy in adolescence described delayed acceptance of the loss, feeling bad about their bodies and feeling unfit to be mothers when cultural rituals and support were absent.
Key findings
01Eleven women aged 20 to 42 who had terminated a pregnancy in adolescence were interviewed about culture and grief.
02The analysis produced three themes: delayed post-traumatic growth, low body esteem and altered maternal identity.
03All participants experienced delayed post-traumatic growth because none had fully embraced their circumstances after terminating a pregnancy in adolescence.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study included only 11 women, all from Gauteng, South Africa, so the themes may not apply to other settings. Recruitment was difficult because of stigma, and the author says the small sample makes it hard to generalise. The participants were aged 20 to 42 years at interview, not adolescents. The study did not test whether cultural rituals or support changed grief, body esteem or maternal identity. The author notes the themes might be better measured with existing questionnaires.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that cultural rituals or support will improve grief, feelings about the body or maternal identity. This study interviewed 11 women about their experiences and did not test an intervention.