What is abortion?
-From latin word = abortio
-miscarriage, premature, untimely birth
-In medicine = ending pregnancy prematurely/ termination of pregnancy
What does Abortion Act 1967 say?
- Permits doctors to perform abortions under certain circumstances:
–> it is carried out under certain premises (hospital, licenced clinic)
–> performed by registered doctor
–> approved by 2 doctors (in an emergency, abortioncan be certified by operating practitioner only)
-Does not decriminalise abortion in general - In England and Wales
What does the Human Embryology and Fertilisation Act 1990 say?
- It changes to the gestational stages at which abortions can be performed
What does the law say prior to 24 weeks to pregnancy?
-Abortion may be allowed on the grounds of a risk to woman’s mental/ physical health/ existing children
-In rare situations= abortion may be allowed to be carried out after 24 weeks
–> Severe disability of fetus or to save life of pregnant woman or prevent permanent injury to woman’s physical or mental health then abortions can be performed up to 40weeks
What does the abortion law in Northern Ireland say?
- Until recently, abortion was illegal in Northern Ireland
–>Seen as tantamount to murder unless the woman’s life was at risk or if continuing with the
pregnancy would cause serious physical or mental health effects to the woman.
–>Rape, incest and fatal foetal abnormalities were not grounds for legal abortion. - In 2018, Northern Ireland voted in a referendum to make abortion legal
- In October 2019, abortion was decriminalised and became lawful.
- New legal framework - Abortion Regulations 2020;
–>Abortions on request up <12 week of pregnancy
–>Abortions 12-24 week lawful in certain circumstances (severe foetal abnormality, serious
risk to woman’s health)
What circumstances might affect the moral status of abortion?
-Rape
-Prenatal screening shows high risk of severe learning disabilities
-Woman is depressed and feels unable to cope with motherhood
-Woman is single mother or poor
-Woman is only 16 years old
How are ethical principles affected by abortion?
- Autonomy = patient should have right to abortion
- Beneficence = best interests of mother (psychological and physical well-being)
- Non-maleficence = important to prevent harm to mother and foetus
-consider sanctity of life
What does ‘human’ mean?
-A biological term
-a human has human DNA
What does ‘person’ mean?
-A moral term
-refers to beings who are part of our moral community and deserve moral consideration
What are the ways to think about personhood?
- Social criterion
- Gradient theory
What does social criterion mean?
-You’re a person whenever society recognises you as a person or someone cares about you
-You matter morally when you matter to someone
What are the characteristics of personhood?
- Relationships
- Emotions
- Inter-personal interactions
Faith-based or religious teachings vs Cultural orders way of viewing personhood?
- Faith-based or religious teachings; Personhood refers to a (human) being,
having a body and a soul and their position in cosmological order - Cultural orders; Personhood refers to who, within any given culture, is
considered to be either a fully functioning and accepted member of society
What is the gradient theory?
-Personhood is a gradient
-Personhood comes in degrees in the process of development from conception through pregnancy until birth
-Fetus has a lower degree of personhood than mother
- Moral value in decreasing order: baby, embryo, zygote
What is a liberal/ feminist approach to abortion?
- Freedom of a woman to determine what happens to her body
- Focuses on paternalism, sexual inequalities, gender roles and oppression in healthcare
- Access to safe abortions = supports women’s choices and self-determination
What is the right-based approach to abortion?
- Illustartes tension between mother and child
- Fetus’ rights cannot outweigh mothers
3.
What is the pro-life argument?
- All human life is sacred
- Every person has right to live
- Fetus is a distinct human from conception
- Woman can only kill their babies if they are in danger
- Abortion is murder and murder is illegal
What is the pro-choice argument?
- Every person has the right to their own body
- Abortion is a safe procedure that saves lives
- The value of life and rights of fetus is subordinate to mothers
- Women don’t have an obligation to pregnancy against their will and can change their minds
- Women have the right to choose the end of pregnancy
How must a doctor handle a situation if they have conscientious objection?
If a doctor has a conscientious objection to abortion they do not have to be
involved
-BUT:
-If one does conscientiously object, there is a legal and professional duty to refer
patients on to an appropriate clinician within a reasonable period of time
-Doctors must help if the ToP is immediately necessary for life-saving reasons
and there is no one else able to assist
-Doctors must help women who have had a ToP if they require assistance (e.g.
post abortion sepsis or haemorrhage)
What does the GMC Guidance say about personal beliefs and medical practice?
- You may choose to opt out of providing a particular procedure because of your
personal beliefs and values, as long as this does not result in direct or indirect
discrimination against, or harassment of, individual patients or groups of
patients. - If you wish to exercise a conscientious objection to particular services or
procedures, - make sure that patients are aware of your objection in advance
- Tell the patient you do not provide the particular treatment/procedure, being careful
not to cause distress. - Tell the patient that they have a right to discuss their condition/options for treatment
with another practitioner
-Make sure that the patient has enough information to arrange to see another doctor
who does not hold the same objection as you.
How would the virtuous doctor behave in relation to abortion?
- Irrespectively of your personal views, there are particular behaviours that are
desirable and others unacceptable when working with patients who seek abortions
–>treat patients with fairness, kindness, honesty, respect - behave non-judgementally, to be open and responsive to women seeking
abortions and make appropriate referral in a timely fashion
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Week 141
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Week 244
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Week 336
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Week 428
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Week 516
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Week 7 - Ethics & Professionalism (flipped classroom)7
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Week 7 - Doctors & Patients11
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Week 8 - End of Life Ethics19
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Week 9 - Abortion21
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Week 10 - Organ Donation & Transplantation ethics17
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Week 11- Research Ethics17
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Week 11 - Public Health Ethics (FLIPPED CLASSROOM)12
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Week 12 - Human Rights9
