Estimating the attitude of immigrants toward primary prevention of the hemoglobinopathies.

OBJECTIVES

We conducted population specific confidential enquiries among immigrants who had never experienced hemoglobinopathies, to study the reliability of this approach in estimating the wish for primary prevention by prenatal diagnosis and selective abortion.

METHODS

We collected data from Surinamese Hindustanis (n = 119), Surinamese and Antillean Afro-Americans (n = 105) and North Africans (mainly Moroccans) (n = 102), living in Holland. We also interviewed 105 informed individuals of different ethnicities, all members of the multi-ethnic patients and carriers' organization 'OSCAR Nederland'.

RESULTS

On average, 68% of the Surinamese Hindustanis and 42% of the Surinamese Afro-Americans were in favor of selective abortion in case of affected pregnancy. Remarkably, 77% of the last group wanted to be tested for carrier diagnostics and 67% declared to have knowledge of the disease before they were informed. Only 16% of the Moroccans were in favor of selective abortion in case of an affected fetus, while 79% wanted to have blood analysis to establish their carrier status.

CONCLUSIONS

The apparently limited wish for selective abortion expressed by Moroccans is in contrast with the high number of illegal abortions reported among married women in Morocco (39%). The wish for selective abortion among informed members of the patients' organization was more than 80%.