DEM vs GEM: attitudes towards abortion and reasons for justification
| Reasons for justification | DEM (n=403) | GEM (n=122) | Total (n=525) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes [n (% of total)] | Yes [n (% of total)] | Yes [n (% of total)] | p* | |
| Is abortion morally wrong? | 165 (42.4) | 17 (14.5) | 182 (35.9) | 0.001 |
| Is abortion ever justified? | 365 (91.0) | 115 (95.8) | 480 (92.1) | 0.058 |
| Is abortion justified if it is consistent with the wishes of the mother? | 201 (52.1) | 84 (72.4) | 285 (56.8) | 0.001 |
| Is abortion justified if there is a real risk to the health of the mother (excluding suicide)? | 377 (94.9) | 116 (96.7) | 493 (95.4) | 0.309 |
| Is abortion justified if there is a real risk to the life of the mother? (with suicide as a possible cause of risk)? | 325 (81.3) | 108 (89.3) | 433 (83.1) | 0.024 |
| Is abortion justified if there are developmental and genetic defects in the fetus? | 204 (53.7) | 84 (73.0) | 288 (58.2) | 0.001 |
| Is abortion justified if the fetus will not survive to term? | 351 (87.9) | 113 (93.4) | 464 (89.2) | 0.060 |
*Results from χ2 comparisons of DEM vs GEM across categorical response items.
DEM, undergraduate-entry medical student; GEM, graduate-entry medical student.