Perception of medical students in Bulgaria towards abortion

Introduction: Abortion is the termination of pregnancy, whether spontaneous or intentional. Attitude regarding abortion varies widely according to culture or religion and even political siding. Restricted access to abortion leaves women in need vulnerable to seeking unsafe termination methods. Objectives: To gauge medical students‘ attitude regarding abortion and their willingness to carry out terminations as qualified doctors, and to establish factors that impacted their attitude towards it. A secondary aim was to assess students‘ knowledge of Bulgarian abortion laws. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the form of a self-administered questionnaire, which was then distributed and collected online. It consisted of five distinct sections: (A) sociodemographic data; (B) personal experience of abortion; (C) attitude; (D) knowledge of Bulgarian laws regarding abortion; and (E) willingness to perform abortions as qualified doctors. Results: Being Christian or Agnostic/Atheist, being in clinical years, and believing that life begins at birth showed a higher positive attitude toward abortion. On the converse, being in preclinical years, being religious, and believing that life begins at the time of conception lends itself to having a poorer attitude towards abortion. Individuals with negative attitudes denied performing abortions if the need arose during their professional careers. Conclusion: By appreciating the differences and understanding the relationships with attitudes towards abortion, we can create strategies to minimize the stigmatization of women and reduce the harm they may encounter with unsafe abortions.