Assessment of attitudes towards the use of preimplantation genetic diagnosis in a single center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

In this cross‐sectional study, we assessed the attitudes of the general public in Saudi Arabia regarding both medical and non‐medical applications of pre‐implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). The study was conducted in King Abdullah Specialist Children's Hospital (KASCH) in Riyadh with a sample size of 377. Demographic information was collected, and attitudes towards applications of PGD were assessed using a pre‐validated self‐administered questionnaire. Out of the total sample size, 230 (61%) were males, 258 (68%) were married, 235 (63%) had one child or more, and 255 (68%) were older than 30 years of age representing the majority of participants. Only 87 (23%) of participants reported prior experience with PGD. Personally, knowing someone who had a prior experience with PGD was associated with higher attitude scores (more favorable attitudes towards PGD) (p‐value = 0.04). The findings of this study indicate that our sample of Saudi individuals generally had a positive attitude towards the use of PGD.