Ethical Considerations of Abortion Education in Undergraduate Catholic Medical Institutions

Medical schools have an obligation to provide a well-rounded, comprehensive education for their students, including reproductive healthcare. The Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Healthcare Services (ERDs) provide guidance and directives for hospitals sponsored by the Catholic Church. The ERDs prohibit performing abortions, including material cooperation with abortion. We examined whether teaching medical students about abortion in Catholic medical schools is ethically permissible under the ERDs. Literature for ethical frameworks, theology, and medical education standards was examined. We also sought to identify whether medical students at a Catholic medical school were satisfied with the current abortion curriculum. An Institutional Review Board approved survey was distributed to fourth-year medical students at a Catholic medical school evaluating satisfaction with the current curriculum. Students indicated that abortion education is an important aspect of the medical school curriculum. We propose that it is ethically permissible to provide comprehensive didactic reproductive education, including abortion, in Catholic medical schools while still respecting the ERDs.