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Attitudes towards legalization of abortion among a cross-section of women in metropolitan Dacca

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2008

R. H. Chaudhury
R. H. Chaudhury
Affiliation:
Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies, Dacca, Bangladesh
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Summary

The paper examines the attitudes towards legalization of abortion among a cross-section of 1130 currently married, fecund women of metropolitan Dacca. Abortion is a taboo subject and it is punishable under law in Bangladesh. The respondents in this study do not seem to be very hostile toward legalization of abortion but, on the contrary, favour this at least under certain situations. Only 11% of respondents are strongly opposed to legalization of abortion, but as many as 50% of the respondents endorse abortion in at least three different situations: (i) if the life of the mother is endangered: (ii) if the baby is expected to be born defective: (iii) if a woman is raped. This finding indicates that at least among a group of educated urban women there prevails a more favourable attitude towards abortion than that permitted by law. Socioeconomic factors, particularly female education, are found to be the strongest correlates of attitude towards abortion.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 12 , Issue 4 , October 1980 , pp. 417 - 428
Copyright
Copyright © 1980, Cambridge University Press

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References

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