70% of Italy's gynecologists refuse to perform abortions

Abortions may be falling in Italy, but much of that trend may be influenced by the high number of medical personnel who refuse to perform them, a study suggested Tuesday. The number of conscientious objectors among Italy's gynecologists rose from 58.7% in 2005 to 70.7% in 2009 and remained nearly stable at 69.3% in 2010, according to a parliamentary report Health Minister Renato Balduzzi submitted on Tuesday. Conscientious objectors among Italy's anesthesiologists rose from 45.7% in 2005 to 50.8% in 2010. Non-medical personnel refusing to facilitate abortions rose from 38.6% to 44.7% in the same period. The trend is particularly acute in southern Italy, where in some regions the percentage of gynecologists who will not perform abortions is over 80%. For anesthesiologists, the highest percentage of abstainers are in Sicily, at 78.1%. Regions least resistant to abortion appear to be Tuscany and the northwestern region of Valle D'Aosta, where 27.7% and 26.3% of anesthesiologists avoid abortion procedures, respectively.