Awareness and attitude toward prenatal diagnosis of chromosomal abnormalities in patients with no access to legal termination of pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze variables affecting couples' decision making about prenatal cytogenetic diagnosis in patients with no access to legal termination of pregnancy (TOP).

METHODS

Patients undergoing invasive prenatal diagnosis were anonymously surveyed after counseling and before the procedure. The questionnaire enquired about sociodemographic features, medical history, knowledge of and attitudes toward genetic testing and TOP.

RESULTS

Two genetic units distributed 372 questionnaires. Mean maternal age was 36 +/- 4 years. Access to prenatal genetic counseling was mainly patient's own initiative, or 'self-referral'. Most self-referred patients (87%) considered that 'receiving accurate information' was the main issue. Eighty-one per cent of all couples knew that TOP because of fetal anomalies was not legal. In case of a serious anomaly, 68.2% of patients would contemplate TOP, in spite of the risk of being exposed to an unsafe abortion.

CONCLUSIONS

In many countries, prenatal genetic testing is offered, but TOP is not available. In the present study, although most of the couples who decided to undergo prenatal genetic testing were aware of this, they still chose to perform prenatal diagnosis. The main reason given was to obtain reliable information about fetal condition. Finally, if a fetal chromosomal abnormality were detected, most of them would consider TOP.