Attitudes of medical students towards abortion and their willingness to perform abortion: meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

This study evaluates the opinion of medical students about abortion and their willingness to perform the abortion.

METHODS

After a systematic review, meta-analyses of proportions were performed to achieve percent estimates of medical students' opinions about abortion and willingness to perform the abortion.

RESULTS

15 studies appraising 6341 medical students were included. Most medical students opined that abortion should be provided if the mother's life is threatened (89%), in case of rape (84%), if the mother's mental health is affected (79%), if the fetus is seriously defective (73%); and on mother's request (37%). Medical students informed that they would perform abortion if the mother's life is threatened (87%); in case of rape (77%); if the fetus is seriously defective (78%); if the mother's mental health is threatened (65%); in case of teenage pregnancy (51%); on mother's request (25%); and if court rules (19%). Religiosity was associated with significantly lower proabortion (favoring legalization of abortion) attitudes of medical students (OR: 0.10 [95% CI: 0.04, 0.24]; p<0.00001) but longer duration of medical education was associated with higher proabortion attitudes (OR: 1.75 [95% CI: 1.42, 2.14]; p<0.00001).

CONCLUSION

Attitudes of medical students towards abortion are generally ambivalent where the majority opine that abortion should be performed under certain circumstances.