The nexus of fertility and politics: exploring the influence of social tolerance, religiosity, and political conservatism on the acceptance of assisted reproduction in Spain

Abstract

Abstract STUDY QUESTION How do individual religious, political, and social tolerance orientations influence the acceptance of ART among Spanish citizens? SUMMARY ANSWER Social tolerance and religiosity are predictive factors for the acceptance of ART, with more tolerant individuals and those with lower levels of religiosity being more accepting of ART; political conservatism mediates the relationship between social tolerance and acceptance of ART, particularly for left-leaning individuals. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY The rapid advancement of ART has raised questions about its societal acceptance, especially in the context of religious, political, and social beliefs. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION The analysis utilized data from the combined Europe Values Study and World Values Survey, comprising cross-sectional national surveys from 1981 to 2021. Each country’s population was surveyed a maximum of seven times and a minimum of two times during this period. This study uses the cross-sectional data of 2021. After filtering for Spanish citizens and deleting cases with missing key variables, a sample of 1030 valid responses from Spanish citizens was obtained. Quotas were set for sex, age, and educational level, following guidance from the Spanish Statistics Institute. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS The study surveyed participants’ attitudes towards ART, their religious and political orientations, and collected demographic information. The sample consisted of 51.7% women, most respondents were married or in common-law partnerships, and 61.6% had children. Catholicism was the dominant religion (53.0%) and a majority had completed secondary education (66.2%), with half earning over 1400 euros per month. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Using two linear models to test hypotheses, the study found that social tolerance and religiosity significantly predict acceptance of ART, with more tolerant and less religious individuals being more accepting. Political conservatism mediated the relationship between social tolerance and ART acceptance, particularly among left-leaning individuals. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION This study is cross-sectional and based on self-reported data, which may have limitations. Additionally, the findings are based on a Spanish sample and may not be universally applicable. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS The results have significant implications for policymakers and healthcare professionals in the field of reproductive technologies. They also contribute to public debates on ethical considerations surrounding ART. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This work was funded by the Mineco-FrontVida Program, Frontiers of Life, Social Change, and Changing Values Around the Beginning and End of Life (grant number PID2019-106882RB-I00), as part of the State Program for Knowledge Generation and Scientific and Technological Strengthening, and the State R&D Program Oriented to the Challenges of Society, 2019, Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities of Spain. The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER N/A.