Introduction: Abortion is a crucial sexual and reproductive right. However, the legal situation of pregnancy termination is rather heterogeneous across countries and regions. The political climate and cultural perception may result in abortion-related stigma. This mixed-methods systematic review protocol aims to detail the proposed methods for assessing the current state of research on abortion stigma in high-income countries from an abortion seeker, healthcare provider and public perspective.
Methods and analysis: Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Protocols guideline, we conducted a systematic literature search of peer-reviewed studies from high-income countries in relevant electronic databases: PubMed, CINHAL, PsycINFO, LIVIVO and Cochrane Library. Qualitative, quantitative and mixed-method studies that measured or examined abortion-related stigma in abortion seekers, healthcare professionals and the general public will be included. Assessment of risk of bias, data synthesis and qualitative meta-aggregation will be carried out.
Ethics and dissemination: The results of the systematic review will be submitted to peer-reviewed journals and presented at relevant conferences.
Keywords: REPRODUCTIVE MEDICINE; SEXUAL MEDICINE; Stereotyping; Systematic Review.
© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.