TRANSPLANTATION OF ELECTIVELY ABORTED HUMAN FETAL TISSUE - PHYSICIANSATTITUDES

Objective: To provide empirical data on the attitudes of Ontario famil y physicians and gynecologists toward the use of electively aborted fe tal tissue for transplantation (FTT). Design: Cross-sectional survey. Setting: Ontario. Participants: Random samples of 300 physicians from the membership list of the College of Family Physicians of Canada and 300 from the membership list of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynae cologists of Canada; 248 family physicians and 186 gynecologists respo nded, for an overall response rate of 72%. Outcome measures: Physician s' attitudes toward incentives to collect fetal tissue at abortion, pa tient-management issues, consent issues and potential conflicts in the supply and demand of fetal tissue. Results: Of those surveyed 75% agr eed that there should be no incentives to collect fetal tissue at abor tion, 90% believed that decisions to abort must be separate from decis ions to donate fetal tissue, 94% agreed that an option to donate fetal tissue should be discussed only after a firm decision to abort has be en made, and 88% stated that the demand for fetal tissue should not hi nder the availability of new abortion technology such as the abortifac ient pill (RU 486). Conclusions: Results suggest that there is general approval for FTT. Apparent variations between responses to global sta tements and to practice-oriented statements suggest strategies for eff ective Canadian public policy regarding FTT.