[The National Board of Health's information pamphlet to pregnant women causes insecurity].
BACKGROUND
Since 2004, all pregnant women in Denmark have been offered prenatal screening. The aim of this study was to investigate how the Danish National Board of Health's information pamphlet adressed to pregnant women was perceived by young female readers.


METHODS
Five women aged 23-26 years were interviewed. At the time of the interview, none of the women were pregnant or had previously been pregnant. The five individual interviews were carried out using a semi-structured interview guide. They were recorded, transcribed and analysed using Steinar Kvale's theory of meaning condensation.


RESULTS
After reading the pamphlet, the informants became worried, anxious or frightened about the risk of giving birth to a seriously ill or handicapped child. They all wanted a risk estimation in order to be reassured that they were going to have a healthy child. The existence of a screening programme was perceived as an indication of risk.


CONCLUSIONS
In its present form, the information pamphlet of the Danish National Board of Health suggests a yes rather than a no regarding participation in prenatal screening. This is reprehensible, partly because the aim of the pamphlet was to strengthen the self-determination of pregnant women, and partly because the benefits of participation in the screening programme do not clearly outweigh the corresponding drawbacks for the individual pregnant woman.
Institut for Folkesundhedsvidenskab, Afdeling for Almen Medicin, Denmark. jensen.puk@gmail.com
Puk
P
Jensen
John
J
Brodersen
D000328:Adult; D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D020073:Gravidity; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011247:Pregnancy; D018570:Risk Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology