Paper short abstract:

This paper proposes a discussion on the potentially ambiguous character of abortion in the lives of unmarried and sexually active women in contexts where premarital sexuality is culturally perceived as taboo, and abortion is legally available. It draws on ethnographic research conducted in Turkey.

Paper long abstract:

This paper proposes a discussion on the potentially ambiguous character of abortion in the lives of unmarried and sexually active women in contexts where premarital sexuality is culturally perceived as taboo, and abortion is legally available. Are there specificities to unmarried and sexually active women in their understanding and exercise of the right to abortion in such contexts? Are there particular stakes for them? The paper addresses these questions drawing on the case of Turkey, where premarital sexuality, especially for women, is constructed as a cultural taboo, and where abortion is legal since 1983. Engaging with the work of Parla (2001) and Ozyegin (2009), and grounded on 13 months of ethnographic research focused on everyday configurations of sexual moralities in Istanbul, the paper introduces contraceptive and abortion-related experiences of unmarried and sexually active young women. Their experiences will guide a reflection on how context-specific gender ideologies and sexual moralities contribute for a complex conundrum whereby women feel empowered by breaking taboos of virginity while not always succeeding in accessing and negotiating effective contraceptive strategies. In the same vein, the paper proposes to reflect on the impact of such configurations, suggesting that while abortion stands as a right for married women - who are socially authorized to have sexual intercourse - it can become a normative expectation in the case of single women facing premarital pregnancy.