Medical students' attitudes and perceptions on abortion: a cross-sectional survey among medical interns in Maharastra, India (original) (raw)
Related papers
2016
Background: Unsafe abortions are estimated to cause eight percent of maternal mortality in India. Lack of providers, especially in rural areas, is one reason unsafe abortions take place despite decades of legal abortion. Education and training in reproductive health services has been shown to influence attitudes and increase chances that medical students will provide abortion care services in their future practice. To further explore previous findings about poor attitudes toward abortion among medical students in Maharastra, India, we conducted in-depth interviews with medical students in their final year of education. Method: We used a qualitative design conducting in-depth interviews with twenty-three medical students in Maharastra applying a topic guide. Data was organized using thematic analysis with an inductive approach. Results: The participants described a fear to provide abortion in their future practice. They lacked understanding of the law and confused the legal regulation of abortion with the law governing gender biased sex selection, and concluded that abortion is illegal in Maharastra. The interviewed medical students' attitudes were supported by their experiences and perceptions from the clinical setting as well as traditions and norms in society. Medical abortion using mifepristone and misoprostol was believed to be unsafe and prohibited in Maharastra. The students perceived that nurse-midwives were knowledgeable in Sexual and Reproductive Health and many found that they could be trained to perform abortions in the future. Conclusions: To increase chances that medical students in Maharastra will perform abortion care services in their future practice, it is important to strengthen their confidence and knowledge through improved medical education including value clarification and clinical training.
Attitudes and Intentions of Future Health Care Providers Toward Abortion Provision
Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 2004
Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health attending the University of Washington and their intention to provide abortion services in their practices. The primary outcome of this study was students' intention to incorporate abortion into their practice. Secondary outcomes were willingness to seek abortion training and attitudes toward advanced clinical practitioner provision of abortion services. On the basis of previous work, we hypothesized that students in medical programs, those in women's health-oriented programs and those who spent their first 15 years of life in an urban area would be more likely than others to intend to provide abortions, once age, sex and religion are controlled for. Also, we predicted that students would be more willing to perform medical abortions than surgical abortions, because medical abortions are limited to first-trimester terminations of pregnancy.
International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, 2012
To explore Indian abortion providers' knowledge of medical abortion (MA), their personal experiences and practices of providing medical abortion, and their attitudes toward providing MA to eligible women who were poor, uneducated, and/or from rural areas. Methods: In selected districts of India's Bihar and Maharashtra states, interviews were conducted with 270 physicians who were certified as abortion providers, using a structured questionnaire. Results: The providers' knowledge of the gestational limit, the recommended doses of mifepristone and misoprostol, and other aspects of the approved protocol was far from universal. Only about two-thirds of these physicians authorized to perform MA actually performed it. Although they all counseled women about the procedure before they took mifepristone, the matters discussed were often limited to pain management and possible complications. Contraception was usually not discussed until the follow-up visit. Most providers thus missed the opportunity to provide sustained counseling to their MA patients, and did not counsel them about the need to protect themselves in the 2 weeks following the administration of mifepristone. Moreover, many providers were reluctant to offer MA to poor, uneducated, and/or rural women. Conclusions: These findings shed light on the need to raise awareness and dispel misgivings about MA among certified providers of abortion services. By placing emphasis on the method's safety and effectiveness, additional training to these would increase their confidence about offering MA to eligible women.
The effect of training on the provision of elective abortion: A survey of five residency programs
American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2003
Abortion is one of the most common surgical procedures in the United States, more common than hysterectomy, sterilization, or cesarean delivery. 1 Over the last 15 years, abortion access has decreased, largely because of a falling number of abortion providers. We surveyed recently graduated physicians to determine what variables correlate with abortion provision, including residency training.
International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, 2015
Background: Maternal mortality is an important indicator of women's health and social well-being. According to the WHO report, each year, an estimated 190 women for every 100,000 live births die due to maternal causes. In India, unsafe abortion and related complications accounts for 9% of all maternal deaths. Abortion was made legal in India by the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) act, which was enacted by Indian Parliament in the year 1971. But the number of unsafe abortions has not declined. Methods: A present study was conducted by the
Support for provision of early medical abortion by mid-level providers in Bihar and Jharkhand, India
Reproductive Health Matters, 2009
Medical abortion has the potential to increase the number, cadre and geographic distribution of providers offering safe abortion services in India. This study reports on a sample of family planning providers (263 mid-level providers, 54 obstetrician-gynaecologists and 88 general physicians) from a 2004 survey of health facilities and their staff in Bihar and Jharkhand, India. It identified factors associated with mid-level provider interest in training for early medical abortion provision, and examined whether obstetrician-gynaecologists and general physicians supported non-physicians being trained to provide early medical abortion and what factors influenced their attitudes. Findings demonstrate high levels of mid-level provider interest and reasonable physician support. Among mid-level providers, being male, having a more permissive attitude towards abortion and current provision of abortion using any pharmacological drugs were associated with greater interest in attending training. Mid-level providers based in private health facilities were less likely to show interest. More permissive attitude towards abortion and current medical abortion provision using mifepristone-misoprostol were inversely associated with obstetrician-gynaecologists' support for non-physician provision of medical abortion. General physicians based in private/other health facilities were less supportive than those in public facilities. Study findings strengthen the case for policymakers to expand the pool of cadres that can legally provide safe abortion care in India.
Abortion education in medical schools: A national survey
American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2005
This survey was performed to examine the inclusion and extent of abortion education in US medical schools. Study design: A 3-item confidential survey requesting information about abortion education throughout the 4 years of medical school was mailed to the OB-GYN clerkship directors of the 126 accredited US medical schools. Results: Seventy-eight surveys were returned, for a response rate of 62%. Overall, 17% of clerkship directors reported no formal education about abortion either in the preclinical or clinical years. In the third-year OB-GYN rotation, 23% reported no formal education, whereas 32% offered a lecture specifically about abortion. While 45% of third-year rotations offered a clinical experience, participation was generally low. About half of schools offered a fourth-year reproductive health elective, but few students participated. Conclusion: Abortion education is limited in US medical schools. As an integral part of women's reproductive health services, abortion education deserves a place in the curricula of all medical schools.
Abortion attitudes, training, and experience among medical students in Jamaica, West Indies
Contraception and Reproductive Medicine, 2020
Objective To define abortion attitudes, training and experience among medical students in Jamaica, a restricted environment for legal abortion. Method From September to November 2017 we conducted an anonymous online cross-sectional survey among medical students enrolled at the University of West Indies (UWI) in Jamaica. An abortion attitudes sum score was used for analysis. Multivariate regression was applied to evaluate the impact of characteristics and experiences on abortion attitudes. Results The primary outcome was a validated composite abortion attitudes sum score, ranging from zero to forty-five. 1404 students completed the survey for a response rate of 88%. 64% had a positive attitude towards abortion. In multivariate analysis, medical students’ attitudes were favorably impacted by a prior personal or family experience with abortion, identifying as non-religious, being older in age and mixed raced. 1321 (94%) agreed that abortion training should be included in the medical sc...