Publie dans
Slovenian Journal of Public Health
Volume 52, Issue 4
CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN LEGISLATION AND PUBLIC
OPINION IN BULGARIA ABOUT ACCESS TO ASSISTED
REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGIES (ART)
SKLADNOST ZAKONODAJE Z JAVNIM MNENJEM V BOLGARIJI O
DOSTOPU DO OPLODITVE Z BIOMEDICINSKO POMOČJO (ARTASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGIES)
Radoy Krastev1, Vanyo Mitev1
Correspondence to: e-mail: rsvetk@gmail.com
Original scientific article
UDC 618.177-089.888.11:343(043.2)
Abstract
Introduction: This is the first study on the correspondence between the legislation and public opinion in Bulgaria
regarding access to assisted reproductive technologies (ART).
Methods: We carried out a national on-line-based cross-sectional survey in the Bulgarian language from July 2010
until June 2011. Participants were 951 respondents from 18 to 65 years of age who independently completed the
anonymous survey. We were interested in: 1) Attitudes about a woman’s age limit for ART, 2) the rate of acceptance
of access of single women to ART, 3) the rate of approval of access of lesbian couples to ART, 4) the degree of
acceptance of post-mortem assisted reproduction (PAR).
Results: Most of the respondents (54.9%) approved of a woman’s age limit of 43 years. The majority of the
respondents (85.4%) supported access of single women to ART, while 45.1% of the participants approved of
lesbians using assisted reproductive technologies (ART). Approximately 71.7% of the respondents stated they
would permit PAR.
Conclusions: People prefer 43 years as a woman’s age limit for ART. The majority of the respondents accept
access of single women to ART, but a two-fold lower percentage considers that lesbians should be allowed to use
ART. The majority of the respondents are proponents of PAR.
Key words: access to ART, surveys, Bulgaria, ethics, law
