Perspectives on Elective Abortion Among Palestinian Women

Background: Termination of pregnancy remains a highly debated topic in women’s health in the Middle East and specifically in the occupied Palestinian territories (OPT), where it is illegal in most cases. To better understand the ways in which Palestinian women interface with a healthcare system governed by an Israeli system in certain places and limited by the Israeli occupation in others, and to reconcile religious, ethical, and social challenges in this context, this study is designed to elicit the views of Palestinian women exclusively on elective abortion. To our knowledge, this would be the first study exploring women’s views on abortion in Palestine to specifically include the dual sociopolitical context of Jerusalem in which Israeli laws govern healthcare. Methods: We designed a qualitative study that used convenience sampling to recruit Palestinian women (patient and non-patient) from the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Al-Makassed Islamic Charitable Hospital in East Jerusalem. After obtaining verbal informed consent, participants were interviewed in Arabic one-on-one using an open-ended questionnaire eliciting perceptions on the religious implications, social co