Attitudes towards prenatal diagnosis and termination of pregnancy among health professionals in Lebanon.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the attitudes of health professionals in Lebanon towards prenatal diagnosis and termination of pregnancy, for a series of genetic, non-genetic and non-medical conditions.

METHODS

A total of 158 questionnaires were sent to geneticists, family doctors, pediatricians and obstetricians/gynecologists, that included information on sociodemographic variables and sets of questions and case scenarios, to which participants were asked to reply anonymously.

RESULTS

Responses from the 75 participants revealed that the type of specialty did not significantly influence their attitude. However, acceptance of termination of pregnancy was influenced by gender, age, marital status, religion and its importance in their daily life. In general, acceptance of termination of pregnancy in the case of mild or severe clinical conditions was comparable to that reported from European countries, but more favorable in the case of sex chromosome abnormalities. Acceptance of prenatal diagnosis for non-clinical conditions was, however, lower than that reported in Western nations.

CONCLUSION

The study provides a good basis for further studies with a larger number of respondents representing various geographical regions of the country.