The Reproductive Events and Experiences Scale (REES) is an 11-item scale of stigma related to various reproductive events and situations in women's lives. The scale is a feeling thermometer, measuring how cold or warm respondents feel towards women in certain situations among three subscales: abortion, desired fertility and perceived irresponsibility.
Abortion
1. A woman who has had one abortion
2. A woman who becomes pregnant with triplets and chooses to selectively reduce to a single pregnancy
3. A woman who chooses to have an abortion because the fetus she is carrying has an abnormality
4. A women who has three abortions
5. A female doctor who performs abortions
Desired fertility
6. A woman who wants children but experiences infertility
7. A woman who does not want children and consistently uses contraception
8. A woman who has experienced a miscarriage
Perceived irresponsibility
9. A woman who smokes cigarettes throughout her pregnancy
10. A women who does not want children and does not consistently use contraception
11. A teenager who becomes pregnancy
Response Options:
100-point scale from 0 (very cold or negative feelings) to 100 (very warm or positive feelings)
GEOGRAPHIES TESTED:
POPULATIONS INCLUDED:
Female
AGE RANGE:
Adults
The mean score of the items within each subscale is calculated for the subscale total score. The total scale score can also be calculated by the mean of all items in the scale.
PRIMARY CITATION:
Cockrill, K., & Biggs, A. (2018). Can stories reduce abortion stigma? Findings from a longitudinal cohort study. Culture, Health & Sexuality, 20(3), 335-350. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691058.2017.1346202
Qualitative Research
Existing Literature/Theoretical Framework
Field Expert Input
Cognitive Interviews / Pilot Testing
Internal
Test-retest
Interrater
Content
Face
Criterion (gold-standard)
Construct
Total Score: 5.00/8 Points (MEDIUM)
For more details, see Scoring Methodology