Birth control, sterilization and abortion. Attitudes of catholic and protestant clergymen in San Diego toward use in families with genetic illness.

A questionnaire comprising case histories was administered to 27 Protestant and 27 Catholic clergymen in the San Diego area to test their attitudes toward the use of birth control, sterilization and abortion in families with specific genetic problems. The responses indicated:* Catholic and Protestant clergymen do not always follow the official positions of their churches in these matters, although the majority of them do.* Protestant clergymen were more likely to approve of birth control, sterilization, and abortion than Catholic clergymen.* The approval responses of Protestant and Catholic clergymen were not greatly influenced by whether the illness variables involved high Mendelian risk, high psychological cost, high social cost, or poor prognosis.* The approval responses of Protestant and Catholic clergymen were not significantly influenced by the socio-ethnic background of the families.