52% of Doctors Surveyed Oppose Abortion
|
A University of Chicago survey interviewed 1,144 doctors across the nation and found that 52% oppose abortion, others would nor refer women for abortion, and some said they felt it legitimate to withhold information about abortion for moral reasons. This is reported to the first comprehensive survey of moral attitudes of physicians.
|
Among those surveyed, 295 felt they were not required to refer someone for a treatment option they opposed or had doubts about. Nor was a doctor required to tell a patient about treatment options which are morally objectionable procedures such as abortion, stated 14% of the doctors.
Those who described themselves as strong Christians were more likely to refuse a referral or information about morally objectionable procedures such as abortion.
“I was always taught I have two patients: the mother and the baby,” said Dr. Gary Smith, an obstetrician at the Women’s Health Center at Robinwood, Hagerstown, MD. “Why would I want to send somebody out to hurt their baby?”
Dr. Farr Curlin, an ethicist and internist at the University of Chicago, directed the survey which was published in the New England Journal of Medicine (2/8/07).
Source: Choose Life…March/April 2007
|
|
