Exploring Male Engagement in Premarital Abortion: Perceptions and Lived Experiences of Young Women and Men in New Delhi, India

In India, unsafe abortion is the third leading cause of maternal death, and it contributes 8% to all such deaths every year. Even though unmarried women in India have the legal right to abortion, they face challenges because of the secrecy, shame, and stigma associated with premarital sex and abortion, in addition to difficulties accessing services and information.

In light of these challenges, as well as a lack of existing research on the premarital abortion journeys of young men and women, Equimundo and International Center for Research on Women (ICRW), conducted a qualitative study to investigate young men’s attitudes, perceptions, and experiences as partners in relation to premarital abortion in New Delhi.

This report from Equimundo and ICRW, Exploring Male Engagement in Premarital Abortion: Young Women and Men’s Perceptions and Lived Experiences in New Delhi, India, sheds new light on how stigma, social norms, and masculine stereotypes influence men’s involvement in premarital abortion and the post-abortion journey.