Attitudes towards genetic counselling and testing among medical students and newly qualified doctors.

OBJECTIVES

To determine knowledge about four genetic disorders (Down's syndrome (DS), haemophilia (haem), spinal muscular atrophy type 1 (SMA1) and Huntington's disease (HD)), attitudes towards counselling, acceptability of prenatal diagnosis and termination of pregnancies affected with these conditions.

DESIGN

Questionnaire survey of a cohort of medical students and newly qualified doctors.

SETTING

Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna.

RESULTS

227 completed questionnaires (111 fourth year and 86 final year students, and 30 demonstrators) were analysed. Awareness of DS and haem, was higher than of SMA1 and HD, and was highest among the demonstrators. Over 80% of the cohort would not counsel directively about future pregnancies and would discuss the diseases with the family or at risk individuals. Prenatal diagnosis was found acceptable for DS, haem and SMA1 by a majority of the cohort. Attitudes to termination of affected pregnancies varied, 88%, 77%, 55% and 36% finding it acceptable for DS, SMA1, haem, and HD respectively, provided legal terminations were available and termination was requested by parents.

CONCLUSIONS

This cohort of students and doctors appear to accept the principles of clinical genetics involving non-directive counselling, prenatal diagnosis and in some disorders, termination of pregnancy.