Abstract

We examined UCC students’ knowledge of fatal fetal anomaly (FFA) and termination of pregnancy for fetal anomaly (TOPFA). We invited 20,106 UCC students registered for the academic year 2017-2018 to complete an online survey, of which 520 answered the survey and 478 were complete responses. 99.6% (519/521) were comfortable with the topic, while only 0.4% (2/521) were uncomfortable with the topic and terminated the survey. Almost half (48%; 232/479) correctly defined FFA. A small number (6%; 28/476) of students thought Down syndrome is a FFA while only 24% (117/478) could identify Patau syndrome as a FFA. 8% of students considered cerebral palsy to be a FFA, and 16% thought Spina Bifida is a FFA. There was a major difference in knowledge around survivability with a diagnosis of FFA; 13% thought a baby will not survive once born, while 16% believed a baby can survive for years. Deficits in knowledge were identified in accurately defining FFA, survivability, services made available to couples, and classification of FFAs. This gap in student knowledge stresses the need for more readily available and accurate public health and college education campaigns.