Table 3

Performance of abortion and circumstances where appropriate

Performance of abortion in Ireland	Students (%)
Willingness to perform legal abortions in Ireland (n=148)
Yes	49 (33.1)
No	42 (28.4)
Unsure	19 (12.8)
Under certain circumstances only	38 (25.7)
Circumstances in which abortion could be performed (n=37 students)	Yes	No	Responses
When the foetus has severe abnormalities and is unlikely to survive	29	6	35
When the pregnancy is the result of rape	27	8	35
When the pregnancy is the result of incest	23	11	34
When the pregnancy is of great risk to the life of the mother (including suicide by the mother)	33	4	37
When the mother is in psychological distress about the pregnancy	11	22	33
When the mother would place the child up for adoption if an abortion was not obtained	5	28	33
When the mother is the carrier of an inheritable disease	9	25	34
When the mother is in an abusive relationship and has fears regarding the child's safety	8	25	33
When the mother has proven to be abusive to previous children	9	24	33
When the mother is living in extreme poverty and her child would also live in extreme poverty	7	25	32
When the mother became pregnant from the failure of contraceptive methods	10	23	33
When the abortion can be achieved through chemical means (ie, the abortion pill) compared with physical means (ie, dilation and curettage)	18	18	36