Abortion knowledge, attitudes and reproductive autonomy among university students in Austria: a cross-sectional study

Abortion laws are widely debated, yet little is known about how abortion knowledge relates to reproductive autonomy among university students. This study assessed Austrian students' abortion knowledge, attitudes, and reproductive autonomy, and examined factors associated with liberal vs. conservative positions.

A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in 2023 among students in Tyrol, Austria (n = 750). The questionnaire included sociodemographics, prior experiences, abortion knowledge (law, access, cost), attitudes, and the 14-item Reproductive Autonomy Scale (RAS). Analyses included ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney U, χ² tests, and Spearman correlations (α = 0.05).

Participants were 622 women and 128 men (median age 23 years). Thirty-three (4.4%) had children; 67.5% desired children; 39.9% had used emergency contraception; 25 women had undergone abortion. Only 49.7% knew abortion is legally regulated in Austria, with higher knowledge among medical students (62.2%) than other health (44.7%) or non-health students (41.6%; p < 0.001). Women more often identified the first-trimester regulation (74.6% vs. 60.9%; p = 0.012). Knowledge of providers and costs was generally poor, though slightly better among medical students. A social taboo was more frequently perceived by women (81.6% vs. 65.1%; p < 0.001). When asked when life begins, 36.1% selected "heartbeat" and 27.0% "viability." Higher RAS scores correlated with more liberal abortion attitudes (r = .16-.17; p ≤ 0.001).

In this sample of Austrian students, strong support for reproductive autonomy but limited knowledge of abortion law, access, and costs is shown. Greater reproductive autonomy aligns with more liberal attitudes. Findings support integrating structured abortion education, improving information on access, and reducing stigma.