Qualitative analysis reveals that working conditions impact conscientious objection in abortion healthcare, suggesting improvements for implementation.
In Italy, the law regulating abortion weighs the rights of both patients and doctors. The region of Puglia is puzzling because it has a high rate of conscientious objection, but also a high rate of abortion. Interviews with medical personnel, healthcare administrators, and advocates help to understand this apparent contradiction. I find that many medical personnel register as objectors not because of a genuine moral conviction against abortion, but rather because of the working conditions that nonobjectors face and the perception that working in abortion could hinder their careers. I conclude by offering recommendations for how administrators could improve the implementation of this law without fundamentally changing its principles.
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Danielle Pullan (2025) studied this question.
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