What do women want? Experiences and reflections of women after prenatal diagnosis and termination for anomaly

Abstract

It is difficult to hear the voices of women describing their experiences of perinatal health care in the United States. This article reports results from interviews with 30 women about their experience of pregnancy termination for fetal anomaly (TFA) and their encounters with the medical system during the diagnosis through the aftermath of termination process. The ways researchers inadvertently silence women's voices are analyzed. Themes emerged from the interviews, including the role of preparedness, access and barriers to care, and the importance of empathic compassion by the provider. Additionally, women give relatively unprocessed advice and feedback to the varied disciplines of the medical care team.