Transforming Attitudes Towards Abortion With Values Clarification and Education

In Spring of 2021, the Kampala International University – Ishaka Campus held a four-day workshop series. They held a values clarification and attitude transformation workshop and educational lectures on comprehensive abortion care, post-abortion care, and family planning. The chapter administered a survey gauging attitudes toward, comfort with, and knowledge of abortion and family planning. The results demonstrated the power of exposure to these educational topics.

Participants

144 students attended the training. The majority of participants were medical students, but nursing and pharmacy students attended too.

Nearly all of participants identified as religiously affiliated.

Results

Prior to the MSFC chapter’s workshops, only 3.5% of participants felt comfortable talking to a family member about any sexual and reproductive health issue. Menstruation and dating were the only topics any student felt comfortable discussion.

After the training, 96% of participants felt comfortable discussing these topics with family members.

Participants also indicated a more favorable attitude to abortion, patients who seek abortion, and abortion providers.

Participants who indicated they believed:

  • Abortion is a sin
  • That they would report a friend who aborted a pregnancy
  • Abortion providers are evil

Decreased by statistically significant amounts after the training.

Next Steps

Many positive gains were made through this training. The pre- and post-survey comparisons also indicated areas for future training. While participants felt much more comfortable with the idea of abortion, they still felt largely unsure of how they could provide safe abortion care and advocate for more liberal abortion laws.

The surveys also indicated an interest in learning more. After the training, participants were overwhelmingly supportive of incorporating abortion and family planning education into their university’s curriculum. The MSFC chapter can use these results to demonstrate a need and interest in this education, while petitioning their school to reform the curriculum.