Jockey Club Perinatal Bereavement Care Project helps Break the Silence: Survey findings on Public Attitude and Knowledge Towards Pregnancy Loss

According to the statistics provided by the Hong Kong government, it is estimated that one out of five pregnancies may end in pregnancy loss and an average of 8,000 pregnancy losses annually have been recorded in recent years. Although pregnancy loss is exceptionally common, there continues to be pervasive taboos around the subject. The psychological and social challenges that bereaved parents experience are often exacerbated by the long-standing silence, misconception and stigma that accompanies the topic.

Funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, the Department of Social Work and Social Administration of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) launched the “Jockey Club Perinatal Bereavement Care Project (JCPBC)”, a new initiative aiming at providing support for individuals and couples with pregnancy loss. Core elements of the initiative include the development of an online perinatal bereavement support platform, community education, and professional training.

In May 2022, Dr. Celia Chan Hoi Yan, Associate Professor and Deputy Head of the Department of Social Work and Social Administration, who is also the Principal Investigator of JCPBC, conducted an online survey to investigate public attitude and knowledge towards pregnancy loss in Hong Kong, with the aim to examine public understanding of pregnancy loss-related issues and condolence expressions towards bereaved parents in Hong Kong.

The findings indicate that myths related to pregnancy loss still persists in our society, and when comforting bereaved parents, a lot of condolence expressions, however well-intended, may be counterproductive.

Please click here for the detailed findings and tables.
For the powerpoint slides presented at the Zoom media conference, please click here.

In this regard, a public campaign, named “Break the Silence – Pregnancy Loss Week” Awareness Campaign, will be held in October to raise public awareness on the needs and concerns of individuals or couples experiencing pregnancy loss and to create a supportive space for parents who are grieving for their loss.

“Break the Silence – Pregnancy Loss Week” Awareness Campaign website: https://jcpila.hku.hk/english
Lantern of Remembrance and Support website (Chinese only):  https://www.jcperinatal-bc.hk/tc/skylight/