Community attitudes towards prenatal testing for congenital handicap

The aim of this study was to assess the attitudes of a heterogeneous group of participants in adult education classes towards prenatal diagnosis and pregnancy termination in a number of hypothetical situations: three situations of specified risk of physical handicap, mental handicap and early death, and one age-related risk situation (1% risk for Down's syndrome). We explored the impact of some specific variables on these attitudes, especially of subjective risk perception and perceived burden of the handicap. A questionnaire was presented to 385 adults with an interest in psychosocial issues, but with no special pre-existing knowledge or training in genetics. Prenatal diagnosis was highly acceptable in the hypothetical situations: three quarters of the sample reported they would make use of it should they be pregnant; the figure was somewhat lower (66%) in the case of a pregnancy with risk for Down's syndrome. The acceptance of pregnancy termination was near 40% in the case of mental handicap, early death of the baby and Down's syndrome. This proportion dropped to 17% for physical handicap. The correlations with perceived risk, perceived burden of the handicap, religious conviction and personal values are discussed.