Prenatal testing and pregnancy termination in Sri Lanka: views of medical students and doctors.

INTRODUCTION: Prenatal diagnosis and pregnancy termination generate complex ethical issues. Surveys conducted in Sri Lanka among doctors and medical students in 1986 supported a change in law in favour of pregnancy termination when gross genetic defects are detected antenatally. A new generation of prenatal tests has focused attention again on the topic of termination and under what circumstances it might be legally done. The present survey contributes to the debate by means of a survey of doctors and medical students. METHOD: A self-administered questionnaire given to doctors and medical students. RESULTS: Ninety three per cent of doctors and 81% of students accept pregnancy termination as an appropriate course of action if a gross genetic defect is detected antenatally, and 87% of doctors and 80% of students support a change in the law to allow termination of the pregnancy. The corresponding figures in previous surveys were 80%, 69% and 96%, 88% respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A majority of doctors and medical students support a change in law in favour of liberalising pregnancy termination when a genetic defect is detected antenatally.

Pattern of use of medical information made available via an Internet website.

INTRODUCTION: The Internet is probably the fastest growing means of public communication. Those who seek health and medical information are using it increasingly. We decided to study the pattern of use of information made available via an Internet website. METHOD: Retrospective analysis of the entries made on the guest book and direct inquiries made to the webmaster of an established and well known Sri Lankan medical website from 1 February 1997 to 20 November 1998. RESULTS: During this period 23,373 web surfers visited the site. There were 222 guest book entries and 12 direct inquiries to the webmaster. The analysis of these entries and inquiries show that there is a wide gap in use of the information available at this website between web surfers from the developed and the developing countries. CONCLUSION: Governments in developing countries must plan to make computers and information technology as well as telecommunication services affordable and widely available.