Exploring the experiences of black women who have had a termination.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring the experiences of black women in London who have had a termination of pregnancy.
IRAS ID
335800
Contact name
Denise Blair
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Sussex
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
2023/01/BLA, British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) reference number
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 20 days
Research summary
Within Britain, Black women generally experience poorer reproductive health outcomes than other ethnic groups. Black women also have higher rates of undergoing certain reproductive health procedures such as terminations of pregnancy. Each year over 220,000 terminations of pregnancies occur within Britain. This occurrence is not proportionately distributed between ethnic groups, with Black women having higher rates of terminations and repeat terminations.
This qualitative study aims to explore the lived experiences of Black women who have had a termination of pregnancy. This will be done by conducting 10 – 12, semi- structured, one-to-one, online interviews with Black women who live in London and have had a termination of pregnancy. To help answer the study aim, the interview questions will cover women’s experiences of, childhood, relationships, abortion, and sexual health services. Interviews will be audio transcribed to allow analysis. The results of the study will be thematically analysed to show the experiences of Black women who have had a termination of pregnancy.
Research carried out in the US reveals similar findings and suggests that the increased termination rates for Black women may be the result of a number of factors including; use of long-acting contraception, socioeconomic status, experience of abuse, and racism. The findings of these studies cannot be easily transferred to the UK as contextually the US and UK are very different. This is mainly due to their healthcare systems, the legal framework of reproductive health and women’s access to terminations.
Additionally, the perspective of Black women in the UK has been historically underrepresented and misrepresented within research. This study seeks to illustrate the views and experiences of Black women and contribute to filling this gap in knowledge and policy.REC name
London - Bloomsbury Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/LO/0110
Date of REC Opinion
25 Mar 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion