Iranian Physicians' Views on Abortion for Genetic Disorders
Author Information
Author(s): Karimi Mehran, Bonyadi Mohammadmehdi, Galehdari Mohhamad reza, Zareifar Soheila
Primary Institution: Shiraz University of Medical Sciences
Hypothesis
What are the opinions of Iranian physicians regarding the termination of pregnancy for thalassemia major, hemophilia, and Down's syndrome?
Conclusion
The majority of physicians were in agreement with abortion for thalassemia major and Down's syndrome because of the overall prognosis, but opposed to abortion for hemophilia.
Supporting Evidence
- 91.3% of physicians agreed with abortion for thalassemia major.
- 78.6% of physicians agreed with abortion for Down's syndrome.
- 40.6% of physicians agreed with abortion for hemophilia.
- The most common reasons for agreement were poor prognosis and severity of the disease.
Takeaway
Most doctors in Iran think it's okay to end a pregnancy if the baby has thalassemia or Down's syndrome, but they don't agree as much when it comes to hemophilia.
Methodology
A questionnaire was administered to selected physicians by stratified random sampling.
Limitations
Government disagreement with abortion for all three diseases may interfere with physicians' decisions regarding abortion.
Participant Demographics
62.2% male and 37.8% female physicians, including interns, residents, and attending physicians.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.5
Confidence Interval
95%
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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