Hesitant Steps: An Exploratory Qualitative Study of the Influential Factors on Women's Attitudes Toward Elective Abortion.

BACKGROUND: Abortion is one of the most complex and controversial issues in ethics, legislation, and health. Strict abortion restrictions and population growth policies have increased the complexity of abortion in Iran. Thus, this study aimed to explore women's attitudes toward Elective Abortion (EA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This exploratory qualitative study was conducted between January and September 2024. Participants included 20 women (aged 15-49 years) with no previous history of abortion, purposively selected from eight healthcare centers in Hamadan, Iran. Data were gathered through in-depth, semi-structured interviews, and analyzed through Graneheim and Lundman's conventional content analysis. Trustworthiness was ensured according to Guba and Lincoln's criteria. RESULTS: The five main themes regarding factors influencing women's attitudes toward EA included moral and religious beliefs, violation of the right to live, sheer panic, modern rethinking, and an insecure future. The 10 categories of these themes were God's will, respectability of life, EA as antisocial behavior, EA as murder, heavy penalty, physical, and mental consequences, changes in values, ambiguities in maternal roles, socioeconomic insecurity, and familial insecurity. CONCLUSIONS: Moral and religious beliefs, fears, and personal, socioeconomic, and value changes can influence women's attitudes toward EA. Therefore, implementing multifaceted strategies in shaping reproductive health policies, emphasizing individual, economic, and social components, is essential for the assessment and management of EA.