Determinants of Physician Opinion toward Abortion Provision in Bogotá, Colombia

Kaitlyn Stanhope, Emory University
Lauren Fink, Emory University
Chelsey Brack, Emory University
Kalie Richardson, Emory University
Roger W. Rochat, Emory University

In 2006, the Colombian Constitutional Court decriminalized abortion in four cases: in the case of a risk to a woman´s health, a risk to a woman´s life, fetal malformation incompatible with life, and rape or incest. The physician must determine whether the pregnancy as a risk to the woman´s health or not. This gives a doctor great power in promoting or denying access to legal abortion. It is necessary to understand the social, political and personal factors determining physician´s attitudes towards abortion. The research team conducted semi-structured key-informant interviews (n=11) to define barriers and surveyed doctors using a two-stage cluster sample of public hospitals (n=49). Physician attitudes towards the law and specific cases were significant barriers to abortion provision. Religion, medical education and years practicing medicine will be entered into a regression model to predict abortion provision.