title: Beliefs about euthanasia among university students: perspectives from Pakistan.
abstract: Opinions of university students about euthanasia were studied in 4 cities in Pakistan using convenience sampling. A total of 836 students (316 males and 520 females) completed a questionnaire in which euthanasia was defined as deliberate administration of an overdose of a drug by a doctor to relieve pain and suffering of a dying patient at his/her explicit request to end his/her life. Only 25.6% of students agreed that euthanasia should be legalized in Pakistan. The most common reason cited for legalization of euthanasia was to relieve patient's suffering but only when a committee of physicians agreed to recommend it. Students who opposed legalization (74.4%) cited impediments to future medical research as the most common reason, followed by the risk of misuse by physicians or family members. Only 8.9% of students cited religious beliefs as a reason against legalization. There is a need in Pakistan for more debate about euthanasia.
authors.affiliation: independent Consultancy, Al Rehab, Cairo, Egypt. masoodali1@yahoo.com
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Shaikh
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kamal
mesh_terms: D001293:Attitude to Death; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D033101:Euthanasia, Active, Voluntary / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D017236:Suicide, Assisted / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D019452:Terminally Ill / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult