When does a human life begin? Viewpoints of public health professionals.

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Abstract
An exploratory study of a volunteer sample of 76 public health graduate professional students was conducted to determine beliefs regarding the time a life begins; to learn how definitions of a new life relate to such beliefs; to identify significant correlates to these beliefs; and to examine personal effects of belief conflicts. Public health professionals were found to vary widely in beliefs. Religion and sex appear to be most significant factors related to such beliefs; professional education and experience do not seem to contribute significantly to their formation. Conflicts were found to exist between personal beliefs and legal and medical codes require conformity in professional behavior. Such conflicts tend to be the sources of considerable personal difficulty and discomfort in the performance of responsibilities. In view of the small and selective nature of the sample studied, and other limitations present in an exploratory study as outlined above, caution is urged in the evaluation of these findings.

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