Medical Students’ Perspective on Euthanasia in Calabar, Nigeria: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background : As future doctors, medical students are often confronted with the topic of euthanasia while fulfilling their roles in caring for terminally ill patients. Despite the complex ethical, legal, and cultural debates surrounding euthanasia globally, the attitudes of medical students towards it remain unexplored in Nigeria. This paper aims to investigate medical students' attitudes towards euthanasia. Methodology : A cross-sectional study was conducted among 126 clinical students at the University of Calabar's Faculty of Clinical Sciences. The sample size was determined using the Taro Yamane formula. Participants were selected using simple random sampling and were administered a sociodemographic questionnaire and the Euthanasia Attitude Scale (EAS). Data was analyzed using IBM SPSS version 26. Results : The sample's mean age was 23.9 (2.74) years, and more were female (54.5%). We found that 68.6% believed in the patient’s right to choose euthanasia in terminal illnesses, and 65.3% saw its utility in specific contexts. Over half (56.2%) supported societal acceptance of euthanasia, especially when recovery was impossible (53.7%) or to reduce family burden in terminal cases (50.4%). Regarding conditions for euthanasia, most opposed using terminal illness (47.9%) or old age (43.0%) as general criteria, while57.9% feared it would be abused. Conclusion : The study concludes that medical students at the University of Calabar hold a nuanced view towards euthanasia, predominantly supporting its right under specific circumstances yet expressing concerns over potential abuses and the ethical responsibility of physicians to preserve life.