title: Factors affecting attitudes towards medical abortion in Lithuania.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Surgical abortion in Lithuania is governed by a 1994 ministerial decree that made it legal for any woman 16 or older. This article seeks to determine the key demographic factors in Lithuanian attitudes towards medical abortion, which is currently not legal.
  
  
  METHODS
  A random sample of the adult population was asked if they supported medical abortion. The dependent variable of attitude towards medical abortion was tested against the eight independent variables reported for each respondent using Chi-square tests and odds ratios. The effects of the variables upon each other were tested with two logistic regression models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the respondents, 62.6% supported access to medical abortion. The independent variables of urban/rural residence, employment status and educational level significantly affected opinion. Overall, education level provided the strongest odds ratio for support of medical abortion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of the Lithuanian population supports the legalisation of medical abortion. There is somewhat less support for it in rural areas, among those who are least educated and in certain nonworking population groups. Lithuanian policy-makers should consider responding to popular sentiment and legalising medical abortion.
authors.affiliation: Division of Social Medicine and Global Health, Lund University, Lund, Sweden. Jeffrey.Lazarus@med.lu.se
authors.forename: Jeffrey V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Lazarus
authors.forename: Stine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jakubcionyte
authors.forename: Esmeralda
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kuliesyte
authors.forename: Jerker
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liljestrand
mesh_terms: D000029:Abortion, Legal / Q000523:psychology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001290:Attitude; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008097:Lithuania; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011247:Pregnancy; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires