Abstract
M.Ed.
Abortion
is now legal in South Africa, bringing with it issues that have never
before had to be addressed. Nobody d?nies that abortion has an effect on women
but very few people realise that abortion also has an impact on men.
Various research projects have been done on how abortion effects women, however
very little is known on how it effects men. consequently the aim of this
research is to find out how the adolescent father experiences the abortion his
partner had. Knowledge of this experience is important, as the way in which this
experience is perceived will effect the further development of the adolescent
father. New insights into the adolescent father's experience can be used by the
educational psychologist to assist the adolescent father to mobilise his
resources so that he can reach his full potential.
An explorative, descriptive, contextual and qualitative design was followed to
conduct this research. Phenomenological interviews were conducted with three
adolescent fathers whose partners had undergone an abortion. After the
interviews had been recorded on audiotape and transcribed, themes were
identified.
The result brought the following manifested experiences to light:
The loss of a relationship with his girlfriend and baby due to the abortion,
feelings of guilt and helplessness as a result of not being involved in the
abortion, exclusion from the decision together with not being acknowledged as
the father, a need to accept responsibility for their actions and overwhelming
thoughts about the abortion and the future.
Guidelines for the educational psychologist to assist the adolescent father to
mobilise his resources so that lie can reach his full potential, are discussed in
accordance with the above mentioned themes.
&
It is clear that adolescent fathers are deeply affected by the abortion that
their partners undergo. Consequently it is firmly believed, that by
acknowledging that adolescent fathers are also effected by the abortion and
allowing them to tell their story, they will be better able to help their
partners and themselves to meet the challenge of an abortion.