ABSTRACT
OBJETIVO: Conocer si los futuros médicos y médicas de Galicia ejercerían la objeción de conciencia en la práctica de la interrupción voluntaria del embarazo (IVE), así como indagar sobre el conocimiento de que dispone actualmente el alumnado de medicina sobre la objeción de conciencia sanitaria y cuáles creen que son los costes que han de soportar las pacientes al no poder ejercer su derecho a la IVE dentro del servicio sanitario público. MÉTODO: Estudio transversal mediante una encuesta a 350 estudiantes de segundo y quinto curso del Grado de Medicina de la Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, en el curso académico 2017-2018. RESULTADOS: El 70,8% de las personas encuestadas no se declararía objetor/a de conciencia a la IVE. Además, el 70% estima que la objeción de conciencia a la IVE puede provocar consecuencias negativas para las gestantes cuando son derivadas desde la sanidad pública a la sanidad privada. No obstante, el 72,9% está a favor de que los médicos y las médicas tengan derecho a declararse objetores/as de conciencia a la práctica sanitaria de la IVE. CONCLUSIONES: La derivación de gestantes como consecuencia de la objeción de conciencia a la IVE es un importante problema en España en general y en Galicia en particular, frente al cual se observa que el futuro personal médico muestra una elevada predisposición a no objetar esta práctica sanitaria, lo que facilitaría su solución en un futuro próximo
OBJECTIVE: To discover whether future doctors in Galicia (Spain) are willing to express conscientious objection to voluntary termination of pregnancy (VTP). The medical students' level of knowledge regarding conscientious objection in health care was also examined, and their knowledge regarding the costs patients would incur if unable to exercise their right to VTP. METHOD: Cross-sectional study by conducting a survey of 350 medical students in the 2nd and the 5th years of the Degree in Medicine at the University of Santiago de Compostela, in the academic year 2017-2018. RESULTS: 70.8% of those surveyed would not declare conscientious objection to VTP. In addition, 70% believe that conscientious objection to VTP can have negative consequences for pregnant women if they are referred from public to private healthcare. However, 72.9% support physicians having the right to declare their conscientious objection to VTP. CONCLUSIONS: The problem of referring pregnant women to private healthcare, as a consequence of conscientious objection to VTP, is presented as critical in Spain, and in Galicia in particular. The future physicians showed that they strongly favoured not objecting to this healthcare practice, which will enable the problem to be resolved in the near future
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Adolescent , Young Adult , Adult , Students, Medical/psychology , Conscientious Refusal to Treat/statistics & numerical data , Abortion, Legal/psychology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Abortion Applicants/statistics & numerical data , Surveys and Questionnaires/statistics & numerical data , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To discover whether future doctors in Galicia (Spain) are willing to express conscientious objection to voluntary termination of pregnancy (VTP). The medical students' level of knowledge regarding conscientious objection in health care was also examined, and their knowledge regarding the costs patients would incur if unable to exercise their right to VTP. METHOD: Cross-sectional study by conducting a survey of 350 medical students in the 2nd and the 5th years of the Degree in Medicine at the University of Santiago de Compostela, in the academic year 2017-2018. RESULTS: 70.8% of those surveyed would not declare conscientious objection to VTP. In addition, 70% believe that conscientious objection to VTP can have negative consequences for pregnant women if they are referred from public to private healthcare. However, 72.9% support physicians having the right to declare their conscientious objection to VTP. CONCLUSIONS: The problem of referring pregnant women to private healthcare, as a consequence of conscientious objection to VTP, is presented as critical in Spain, and in Galicia in particular. The future physicians showed that they strongly favoured not objecting to this healthcare practice, which will enable the problem to be resolved in the near future.
