Exploring Undergraduate Knowledge about Fetal Pain
Abstract
Background: As the global society becomes more progressive, the importance of comprehensive reproductive education has garnered attention. The action to strike down Roe vs. Wade by the United States Supreme Court has resulted in renewed attention to these topics. However, the level of understanding among undergraduates about human reproduction remains under-explored. One of the topics that appears in discussions surrounding reproduction is when does the fetus become capable of perceiving pain? Pain is both a sensory and emotional response to a noxious stimulant. It is a subjective experience. There are some studies that suggest that a fetus can feel pain early in development. However, the general consensus among scientists is that a fetus cannot experience pain until the thalamocortical connections have been made between the thalamus and cerebral cortex. This occurs around 27 weeks of pregnancy.
Objective: To assess the knowledge and misconceptions in understanding the gestational age at which a human fetus can experience pain among undergraduate students.
Methods: A qualitative study was conducted among 72 undergraduate students from two states. A standardized questionnaire, consisting of multiple-choice and open-ended questions, was distributed through an online platform to evaluate their knowledge of specific pregnancy-related topics and to capture demographic data. For the purpose of this poster, we analyzed the responses to the following question: “At what point during human development can pain be felt or experienced?” The responses were divided into correct, partially correct, not correct, and unsure.
Results: No students answered the question correctly. None of the responses were even partially correct. Out of the 72 responses, 41 answers were incorrect and 31 were unsure. A majority of the answers were guesses and many of the students simply said “I don’t know”. Some of the responses went from one extreme to the other and stated the fetus never experiences pain at all, or that it can feel pain during its entire development.
Conclusion: While undergraduate students possess a general understanding of human pregnancy, there are significant gaps and misconceptions in more intricate areas. Since states are now taking up new bills related to pregnancy and limits on abortion access, improved and comprehensive reproductive education is an important area of knowledge for informed citizens. The point of development at which a fetus can experience pain has an impact on the ethics of abortion. However, a helpful discussion cannot be had if the participants in the discussion do not understand fetal development.
Keywords
Pain, fetal, development, misconceptions, undergraduates
Exploring Undergraduate Knowledge about Fetal Pain
CASB 108
Background: As the global society becomes more progressive, the importance of comprehensive reproductive education has garnered attention. The action to strike down Roe vs. Wade by the United States Supreme Court has resulted in renewed attention to these topics. However, the level of understanding among undergraduates about human reproduction remains under-explored. One of the topics that appears in discussions surrounding reproduction is when does the fetus become capable of perceiving pain? Pain is both a sensory and emotional response to a noxious stimulant. It is a subjective experience. There are some studies that suggest that a fetus can feel pain early in development. However, the general consensus among scientists is that a fetus cannot experience pain until the thalamocortical connections have been made between the thalamus and cerebral cortex. This occurs around 27 weeks of pregnancy.
Objective: To assess the knowledge and misconceptions in understanding the gestational age at which a human fetus can experience pain among undergraduate students.
Methods: A qualitative study was conducted among 72 undergraduate students from two states. A standardized questionnaire, consisting of multiple-choice and open-ended questions, was distributed through an online platform to evaluate their knowledge of specific pregnancy-related topics and to capture demographic data. For the purpose of this poster, we analyzed the responses to the following question: “At what point during human development can pain be felt or experienced?” The responses were divided into correct, partially correct, not correct, and unsure.
Results: No students answered the question correctly. None of the responses were even partially correct. Out of the 72 responses, 41 answers were incorrect and 31 were unsure. A majority of the answers were guesses and many of the students simply said “I don’t know”. Some of the responses went from one extreme to the other and stated the fetus never experiences pain at all, or that it can feel pain during its entire development.
Conclusion: While undergraduate students possess a general understanding of human pregnancy, there are significant gaps and misconceptions in more intricate areas. Since states are now taking up new bills related to pregnancy and limits on abortion access, improved and comprehensive reproductive education is an important area of knowledge for informed citizens. The point of development at which a fetus can experience pain has an impact on the ethics of abortion. However, a helpful discussion cannot be had if the participants in the discussion do not understand fetal development.