ATTITUDES TO PRENATAL TESTING AND TERMINATION OF PREGNANCY IN SAUDI ARABIA

Authors: Ayman Alsulaiman, J. Hewison

Abstract

Objective: To assess the attitudes of Saudi parents towards prenatal diagnosis and termination of pregnancy for a range of different genetic disorders.

Methods: Two hundred Saudi parents (100 fathers and 100 mothers) completed a structured questionnaire which sought their views about each of 30 different conditions.

Results: The great majority of people would consider a termination of pregnancy for at least one of the conditions studied. Mothers and fathers held similar attitudes towards prenatal diagnosis, but mothers’ attitudes
towards termination of pregnancy were more favourable. Parents’ collective attitudes towards prenatal diagnosis
and towards termination of pregnancy were correlated.

Conclusions: Saudi parents are favourably inclined towards prenatal diagnosis, and consider termination of pregnancy to be acceptable for some conditions. New technologies provide parents with more reproductive choices but also present them with more dilemmas.