The research explores the narratives of urban, middle-class women who are not married and have undergone legal abortions. In-depth interviews were taken with 12 women and a few stakeholders to understand the same. The study explores the personal as well as socio-economic factors that directly or indirectly affect the women. This includes the relationship with the partner and the family, internalisation and implications of the social stigma around abortion and premarital sex, the exclusionary nature of the MTP Act and the role of health practitioners. The research also identifies emerging themes from these narratives and tries to understand the overlap between the dynamics in the lives of the women. It seeks to identify the coping mechanisms used by the women, look into the life events and recognise the impact of the given factors on the well-being of the women.

Parakh, Sana, Hidden in plain sight: Hidden in plain sight: Experiences of abortion in unmarried women and the impact on well-being. A dissertation submitted- Centre for Health and Mental Health School of Social Work Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, 2020.