Keywords

Abortion; Coercive CUR; Abuse; Shame; Roe v. Wade

Abstract

The U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson decision in June 2022 overruled Roe v. Wade (1973) and held that abortion access is not a constitutionally protected right. The overturn of Roe v. Wade has had notable impacts on women’s overall sexual behavior and reproductive choices, and it highlights a macro-level infringement on women’s reproductive agency. Coercive condom use resistance violates reproductive autonomy on a micro-level, but can have equally harsh effects. Previous literature has studied these occurrences singularly; this research investigates connections between them. This study recruited 14 undergraduate women with a history of reproductive coercion, in the form of coercive condom use resistance, from the University of Central Florida for semi-structured interviews. Using an inductive qualitative approach, this research explores participants’ perspectives on the US government in a post-Roe world in relation to their personal experiences with reproductive decision-making. I also discuss how experiences with reproductive coercion may contribute to feelings of shame and subsequent cycles of self-blame and victim-blaming. This study investigates the relationship between two complex forms of reproductive abuse and opens a dialogue around how society and actors (and thus institutions) within the U.S. government perpetuate the shame associated with both.

Thesis Completion Year

2025

Thesis Completion Semester

Summer

Thesis Chair

Papp, Leanna

College

College of Sciences

Department

School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs

Thesis Discipline

Psychology

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Length of Campus Access

None

Campus Location

Orlando (Main) Campus

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Rights Statement

In Copyright