[Polish physicians'opinions concerning morally controversial medical practices].

Objectives: Some lawful procedures are morally controversial and this situation can sometimes provoke conflicts between patients and physicians (conscience clause problem). The aim of our survey was to collect opinions about medical procedures that are accepted by Polish law and unaccepted by the Catholic Church--dominating denomination in Poland, and analyzing conditions determining these opinions.

Material And Methods: Cross sectional study. An anonymous survey was distributed among 528 physicians who work in public hospitals in eastern Poland (turn = 61%). The sample consist of: 51% women, 49% men; 52% work AT surgical wards, 48% at non-surgical wards; average work period: 17.03 years (SD = 10.73; min. = 1, max. = 45); 93% Catholics; average religiosity (measured by the Scale of Religious Attitudes): M = 5.47 (SD = 1.01; min. = 1.60, max. = 6.80). The questionnaire contained questions about: hormonal contraceptives, artificial fertilization, abortion in the case of rape and fetus defect.

Results: The majority of respondents accepts artificial fertilization (70%), about half accepts abortion in case of fetus defect (50%), almost half accepts abortion in case of rape (41%) and contraception for minors (43%). There was statistically significant differences between physicians with different religiosit--the lack of approval for above procedures correlates with increasing religiosity.

Conclusions: Individual religiosity (regardless of denomination) is the most important condition influencing Polish physician's opinions and attitudes concerning contraception, abortion and artificial fertilization. Physicians with higher religiosity (about 25%) in the situation of divergence between their moral beliefs and patient's demands will choose for their beliefs, which can cause conflicts. Physician-patient relationship's models should take into account physicians'cultural beliefs and not only the cultural beliefs of the patients.