title: Late abortion. Attitudes amongst young physicians in Romania.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The main purpose of this article is to analyze the way in which young physicians analyze and address the issue of therapeutic abortion.
  
  
  METHODS
  A multi-institutional survey was conducted using an online questionnaire containing 10 items.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most respondents agreed with therapeutic abortion (1) if the fetus is not yet viable and the mother is put at immediate risk by the continuation of the pregnancy, and (2) when the pregnancy is over 14 weeks and the prenatal screening identifies a very severe malformation. The lowest rate of acceptance was obtained by the option to terminate the pregnancy after 14 weeks for a minor malformation (polydactyly). The vast majority agreed that the OG physician should be permitted to refuse an abortion on moral grounds, even if permitted by law.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study reveals that the main reasons for conducting therapeutic abortion (TA) in the 2nd or 3rd trimester are: (1) if the mother is put in immediate risk by the continuation of the pregnancy and (2) if the congenital anomaly is extremely severe. Even though the number of respondents considering Down syndrome to be a congenital malformation severe enough to allow TA, the value much lower compared with other low and middle income countries. The main reasons for refusing TA in the 2nd or 3rd trimester are the presence of a minor congenital anomaly or if it is against the moral principles of the physician.
authors: Department of Legal Medicine and Bioethics, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania. soraer@gmail.com
authors: Sorin
authors: S
authors: Hostiuc
authors: Octavian
authors: O
authors: Buda
authors: Mihaela
authors: M
authors: Hostiuc
mesh_terms: D000032:Abortion, Therapeutic / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006176:Gynecology / Q000941:ethics; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008297:Male; D009014:Morals; D009774:Obstetrics / Q000941:ethics; D010820:Physicians; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D012383:Romania; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires