Attitudes of graduating medical doctors toward using sex selection techniques in Jordan in 2009

The aim of this study was to describe the attitude of graduating medical doctors toward the use of sex selection techniques in Jordan in 2009.

A self-administered questionnaire was used to assess attitude toward using sex selection. Demographic variables, gender preference of future children, and score on attitude toward using technology scale were used as independent variables.

A total of 254 doctors (178 males, 76 females) completed the questionnaire. Forty-one (16.1%) doctors thought that sex selection as PGD should be strictly prohibited and 45 (17.7%) thought it should be allowed freely. More than half (54.7%) of them thought it should only be available for medical reason. Only 59 (23.2%) reported that they may consider the use of sex selection technology to choose their future children. Participants who preferred their firstborn child to be a boy or those who preferred their first born child to be a girl were more likely to use sex selection than those without preference. Christian participants were more likely to use sex selection technology than Muslim participants, 9 (47.4%) versus 50 (21.3%). For each one-point increase in Attitude score, the odds of using sex selection increased by 20%.

The majority of graduating medical doctors believed that sex selection should be restricted and they were not willing to use it.