Attached
Introduction: Abortion is the termination of pregnancy
by removal or expulsion of a fetus or embryo from the
uterus before its natural expulsion. It is the third
commonest cause for maternal mortality in Sri Lanka.
According to Sri Lankan law, mother’s life in danger is
the only indication for abortion. Therefore, to make a
change in current situation of abortion in Sri Lanka, it is
important to assess the opinion on abortion from doctors,
because they deal with maternal and child health.
Further, 86,1% (n=130) of less than 10 year experience
and 71.7% (n=38) of more than 10 year experience
doctors disagreed to perform abortion on ‘contraceptive
failure’ and this association was statistically significant
(p=0.018<0.05).
To perform abortion on ‘other family members’ health in
danger’, 88.7% (n=134) of less than 10 year experience
and 74.4% (n=37) of more than 10 year experience
doctors disagreed and this association was statistically
significant (p=0.011<0.05).
Further, 90.1% (n=155) of non-postgraduates and 77.1%
(n=27) of postgraduates disagreed abortion when ‘family
with low income and higher number of children’ and this
association was statistically significant (p=0.032<0.05).
Until legalization, the introduction of family screening,
genetic counseling and contraceptive methods would be
useful to reduce the incidence of such genetic disease
conditions.
Finally, more than 2/3"1 (69.1%, n=143) agreed in
legalising abortion in Sri Lanka for more conditions
other than mother’s life in danger.
Method: According to simple randomized sampling
method, a self-administered questionnaire was given to
207 doctors at the Teaching Hospital Colombo South.
Data were analyzed using SPSS version 21.0.
Results: Almost all (96.6%) agreed to perform abortion
when mothers’ life in danger and 75.8% agreed when
mother’s health in danger. As overall opinion 56,5%
agreed in special medical conditions such as
Anencephaly, Down syndrome, Thalassemia major and
hemophilia. Further, 68.2% and 67.1% respectively
agreed in rape and incest. More than 90.8% disagreed
with social conditions such as contraceptive failure,
family health in danger, family with low income and
higher number of children. Majority (69.1%) agreed for
legalization of abortion in Sri Lanka for more conditions
other than mother’s life in danger. Regarding advantages,
66.2% agreed and 65:2% reported that there will be
disadvantages after legalization of abortion.
Discussion
By the year 2008, 40% of the world's women had access
to legally induced abortions "without restriction as to
reason” []]. But in Sri Lanka, pregnancy termination is
very restricted by law and social norms [2] and despite
significant number of morbidity and mortality, legal
abortions are confined only to one indication; when
mother’s life in danger [3].
In this study, it was revealed that the majority of the
participants agreed to legalize abortion in some identified
medical conditions and identified legal situations, but
disagreed to legalize abortion on identified- social
indications.
Conclusion: In addition to mother’s life in danger,
majority agreed to include medical conditions such as
mother's health in danger and four other special medical
conditions, and legal situations such as rape and incest.
However, majority. disagreed in social conditions.
Majority agreed for legalization of abortion in Sri Lanka
for more cbnditions other than when mother’s life in
danger. Nearly equal number of doctors responded that
there will be both advantages and disadvantages after
legalization of abortion in Sri Lanka
