Religious Affiliation and the Elective Abortion Attitudinal Variations Among Young Adults

Abstract

This study aims to determine if there is a significant difference in attitudes toward elective abortion as a social taboo among young adults when considering their religious affiliation and their extent of religious adherence by drawing from the Social Learning Theory and the Moral Communities Hypothesis. The findings highlight the importance of recognizing the diverse attitudes toward elective abortion among individuals within the predominantly Catholic Philippines. A self-administered online survey questionnaire was utilized in this study. A non-probability convenience sampling method was employed ensuring the major religious groups are represented. To examine whether an attitudinal variation exists when considering religious affiliation and the extent of religious adherence among the sample population of sixty (n = 60), a chi-square (χ²) test of independence was employed. The same was done considering the classificatory variables of sex and marital status. The results showed that attitudes toward elective abortion varied significantly among respondents when considering their religious affiliations (p = < .001), and when dichotomized into Catholic and non-Catholic groups, proportions still varied significantly (p = < .001), with most of the Catholic respondents exhibited a pro-choice attitude. Conversely, most of the non-Catholic respondents exhibited a pro-life attitude. Likewise, attitudes toward elective abortion varied significantly among respondents when considering their extent of religious adherence (p = < .001). Understanding this diversity is crucial for evidence-based policy recommendations and interventions related to bodily autonomy and sexual and reproductive rights, as well as for promoting transparency and well-informed discussion on taboos such as abortion.