Knowledge and Attitudes of a Number of Iranian Policy-makers towards Abortion

Introduction: unsafe and illegal abortions are the third leading cause of maternaldeath. it affects physical, emotional and social health of women and their families.abortion is a multi-dimensional phenomenon with several social, legal, and religiousimplications. the views of policy-makers affect the approach to abortion in everysociety. understanding the attitudes and knowledge of high-ranking decision makerstowards abortion was the purpose of this study.materials and methods: a qualitative research was implemented by carrying outindividual interviews with 29 out of a selection of 80 presidents of medical sciencesuniversities, senior executive managers in the legal system, forensic medicine anddecision-makers in the health system and a number of top muslim clerics, using asemi-structured questionnaire for data gathering. content analysis revealed theresults.results: there were considerable unwillingness and reluctance among the intervieweesto participate in the study. the majority of participants fairly knew about theprevalence of illegal abortions and their complications. there was strong agreementon abortion when health of the mother or the fetus was at risk. abortion forreproductive health reasons was supported by a minority of the respondents. themajority of them disagreed with abortion when pregnancy was the result of a rape,temporary marriage or out of wedlock affairs. making decision for abortion by thepregnant mother, as a matter of her right, did not gain too much approval.conclusion: it seemed that physical health of the mother or the fetus was of moreimportance to the respondents than their mental or social health. the mother’shardship was not any indication for induced abortion in the viewpoints of theinterviewed policy-makers. strengthening family planning programs, making appropriatelaws in lines with religious orders and advocacy programs targeting decisionmakers are determined as strategies for improving women's health rights.