Interpreting Low-Income Latinas’ Amniocentesis Refusals

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Abstract
As with other medical care, low-income Latinas turn down prenatal genetics services, including amniocentesis, more than any other U.S. group. Amniocentesis is a medical procedure that provides information about a fetus‘ health. Virtually all conditions the test detects are untreatable other than by induced abortion. Because little is known about why Latinas accept or decline amniocentesis and the role ethnicity might play in their decision, we sought to address these issues. We first identify factors associated with amniocentesis acceptance and refusal in a group of Mexican-origin women. We then described the actions those who refused took after turning down the test and their explanations for their acts. We show that while study participants‘ ideas about what put their pregnancies at risk were often at odds with those of clinicians, their objectives were similar: to reduce risk and maintain hope in the face of uncertainty.