Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #116805

Meric Colak, PhD, Department of Healthcare Administration, Baskent University School of Health Sciences, Eskisehir Yolu 20. Km., Baglica Kampusu, Ankara, 06530, Turkey, +903122341010, meric@baskent.edu.tr, Korkut Ersoy, Department of Health Care Management, Baskent University, School of Health Sciences, Eskisehir Yolu, 20. Km., Ankara, Turkey, and Fevziye Cetinkaya, School of Public Health, Erciyes University, 38039, Kayseri, Turkey.

The topic of abortion remains one of the most contraversial areas of public policy. The objective of this study is to examine the knowledge, behaviour and attitude of academic and nonacademic members of universities on legal abortion. Cross sectional study were conducted at Baskent university in Ankara, and at Erciyes university in Kayseri.738 person were reached. Results showed that, 57,7% have child and 85 % have at least two child. 50,7% are thinking that surgical abortion needs to be officially permitted by doctors. 22% of them have an idea of boundaries of legal abortion. 32,1% says that, abortion should be more strictly regulated and 71,2% thinks that every woman should be permitted to abort her pregnancy. 93,7% believs that lack of good contraception pills accounts for the great number of abortions. According to 25,5% abortion is a crime and to 95,6%, instead of further restrictions on abortion young people should be tought the right way of contraception. 67,3% of participant opinion is that, abortion shoul be permitted only if the woman's health is endangered by the childbirth. Only 35,7% have an idea on risks of abortion.Ideal pregnancy age is 20 according to participants.The findings justify that, counseling for family planning has importance following legal abortion. Routine premarriage counseling for family planning is necessory. Reproductive health education programs on legal abortion and family planning at universities should be a component of university policy.

Learning Objectives:

• 1.At the end of the study the public health impact of abortion will be introduced and family planning programs will be assessed.
• 2.objective is to put the opinions and knowledge of public on abortion

Keywords: Abortion, Reproductive Health Research

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.