Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
17th World Congress of Bioethics, Ad-Dawhah, Qatar, 3 - 06 Haziran 2024, (Yayınlanmadı)
In Turkey, although induced voluntary abortion is legal and considered a public health service within the first ten weeks of pregnancy by law, some doctors hesitate to perform abortions due to their religious and moral views on the matter. Qualitative studies in Turkey indicate that women face difficulties accessing voluntary abortion services in public health institutions due to the conscious refusal of some doctors to perform voluntary abortions. According to regulations, physicians may have a conditional right to reject patients in certain situations, including personal and professional reasons. However, it is not clear whether "personal" in this context includes religious or conscientious objections. Therefore, although doctors are generally overlooked not to perform voluntary abortions that go against their beliefs, it is a fact that such tolerance may have unintended consequences for both women and doctors who decline to provide abortion services. For many women, especially those who cannot afford to visit private clinics or travel to another city for an abortion, significant psychosocial and health-related difficulties may arise. On the other hand, physicians who do not want to perform voluntary abortions may face significant legal issues in the event of a legal investigation, as the law lacks clear provisions in such cases. This paper will firstly examine the ethical and legal issues that arise when doctors refuse to perform abortions. Second, it will address the significant ethical gap in Turkish legal regulations that could jeopardize both women's access to health services and doctors' legal vulnerability when refusing to provide voluntary abortions. Finally, it will investigate possible ways to protect the basic health rights of women while respecting the values and beliefs of doctors within the Turkish context, which is unique in its secular constitution but religious population.