Problematic of the beginning of human life and its protection from the viewpoint of Lithuanian students

Straipsnyje apžvelgiamas kiekybinis anketavimo metodu atliktas tyrimas, kurio tikslas - išsiaiškinti Vytauto Didžiojo universiteto ir Lietuvos sveikatos mokslų universiteto studentų požiūrį į abortą. Iš viso apklausti 725 studentai. Gautų duomenų analizė leidžia teigti, jog beveik visi studentai yra įsitikinę, kad žmogaus gyvybė prasideda nuo apvaisinimo, o abortai kenkia ir fizinei, ir psichinei moters sveikatai. Vertindami moters teisę rinktis ir negimusiojo teisę gyventi, pusė respondentų tvirtina, jog abi teisės vienodai svarbios; tik 10 proc. studentų mano, kad moters teisės yra svarbesnės nei negimusiojo teisė gyventi. Atliktas tyrimas rodo, jog apklausoje dalyvavę studentai nepalaiko viešojoje erdvėje formuojamos nuomonės apie abortus, o išsakydami savo nuomonę linkę remtis gamtos ir humanitarinių mokslų pagrįstais faktais.The aim of the study was to clarify students' opinion about the beginning of human life and abortion, the factors that lead to abortion, its consequences and reduction strategy, and whether students' opinion corresponds to the publicly formed attitude. Material and methods. The studied contingent consisted of 725 students selected from 10 faculties of Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) and 3 faculties of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LUHS); the subjects were grouped according to sex and age (18-48 years). The students' opinion was evaluated using a self-designed questionnaire which students filled out during the Bioethics lecture (VMU) and Medical Ethics seminars (LUHS) in the fall and spring terms of 2009/2010 academic year. Statistical analysis. The responses in each questionnaire were processed using SPSS 11 software for Windows and MS Excel software. We calculated the percentage distribution of categorical variables, mean values and Standard deviations of quantitative variables in student groups of the two universities, calculated frequencies and mean values, and applied correlation analysis to determine the relationships and interdependence of the diagnostic variables. Spearman's (rho) correlation coefficient was calculated in order to evaluate the applicability of the questionnaire. To determine the extent of the correlation, the probability of statistical error "p" was used, indicating the extent of statistical error. Differences with "p" value below 0.001 (p 3), yet the respondents emphasized the absence of systematic assistance for women (X = 3.91) and problems in the relationships between the mother and the child's father (X = 3.98). The majority (95.9%) of the respondents in both universities thought that abortion significantly damages a woman's psychological and physical health. Statistically significantly more students of LUHS (7.6%) than those of VMU (2.5%) thought that abortion inflicts only partial damage. More females (97.7%) than males (88.6%) thought that abortion is very harmful to a woman, and more males (11.4%) than females (2.3%) thought that abortion inflicts only partial damage. Conclusions. The students did not support publicly formed opinion about abortions, and tended to ground their opinion about ethical, social, and psychological aspects of abortion on factual material from natural sciences and humanities