Between Law and Conscience: A Longitudinal Analysis of Italy’s Abortion Law

In 1978, Italy passed Law 194, legalizing abortion and requiring the Italian Ministry of Health to release an annual report on abortion. This paper specifically investigates the conscientious objection data. Conscientious objection (CO) allows any medical professional who morally objects to abortion to opt out of the procedure, and its inclusion in the law was heavily advocated for by the Catholic church. Despite immense political and social change since 1978, the national level of conscientious objection has remained at a similarly high level: 72% of all gynecologists in 1978, and 60.7% in the most recent available data. Most regions have actually had an increase in the percentage of conscientious objectors over the last 50 years, while some larger ones drag down the aggregate number. On the other hand, demographic data demonstrates that Italians are attending church services less often than in the past, and the role of the Church is on the decline. Building on data gathered by Gädecke, Struffolino, and Zagel (2020), this article is the first longitudinal study on the determinants of conscientious objection in Italy. We evaluate the effects of political, economic, and demographic factors on conscientious objection rates. We use data at the national, macro-regional (five groups of the twenty political regions that are commonly used in demographic studies), and regional levels. This process helps illuminate what are national determinants and trends and what are more regionalized determinants and trends. We also particularly explore the cultural divide between Northern and Southern Italy on these political and sociodemographic variables.