Our culture has a stringent belief that creating new life if a beautiful process which should be cherished. Most often, the birth process is without complications and the results are a healthy active child. In retrospect, many individuals feel that there are circumstances that make it morally wrong to bring a child into the world. This is most often the case when reproduction results in the existence of another human being with a considerably reduced chance at a quality life. To delve even further into the topic, there are individuals that feel they have been morally wronged by the conception in itself. Wrongful conception is a topic of debate among many who question the ethical principles involved with the sanctity of human life. This paper will analyze the ethical dilemmas of human dignity, compassion, non-malfeasance, and social justice, as well the legal issues associated with wrongful conception. What is Wrongful Conception? Wrongful conception is a claim that the conception of a child is due the negligence of medical professionals to prevent said conception through proper sterilization techniques and contraception. This claim is generally not related to the results of whether the child is born healthy or not, but more so, on the claim that had the doctor or pharmacist taken the correct measures to assist in the prevention of conception, the individual would not have gotten pregnant. “As with other types of injury cases, a couple can seek compensation for the cost of the failed procedure, pregnancy costs, pain and suffering, lost wages, and loss of consortium” (Steffen, 2011, http://www.seolawfirm.com/2011/12/wrongful-conception-concerns-raised-when-errors-occur-during-ivf-and-pgd-testing/). In addition, neglige... ... middle of paper ... .... Better off dead: The ethical thicket of wrongful life, wrongful birth, and related legal issues. Retrieved on January 23, 2012, from http://www.lifeissues.net/ writers/dat/dat_02wrongfullife.html Gostin, L. (2010), Public Health Law and Ethics. Retrieved on January 23, 2012, from http://www.publichealthlaw.net/Reader/Gostin.htm Forrester, K., & Griffiths, D. (2010). Essentials of law for health professionals. Sydney: Mosby Elsevier. Retrieved from Google Books. Steffen, K. (2011, Dec. 15). Errors during PGD testing raise wrongful conception concerns. Retrieved on January 23, 2012, from http://www.seolawfirm.com/2011/12/wrongful-conception-concerns-raised-when-errors-occur-during-ivf-and-pgd-testing/ Williams, J. (2010, Nov. 23). Wrongful life and abortion. Retrieved on January 23, 2012, from http://www.springerlink.com/content/q69145g545q13hg5/
Works Cited Warren, Mary Anne. On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion. Trans. Array Exploring Ethics: An Introductory Anthology. . 2 nd.
Warren, Mary Anne , and Mappes and D. DeGrazia. "On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion." Biomedical Ethics 4th (1996): 434-440. Print.
In vitro fertilization is a procedure to treat the genetic failure in the ovaries that allow a women to naturally conceive a child. Today’s advancements in technology has changed the in vitro fertilization market in many different ways. Personally being a product and witness of the “test tube” baby generation, I understand the happiness and completeness a family experiences when these procedures are successful. On the other hand, although people know a lot about this procedure, most don’t understand the negative effects it can have on families due to extreme technological advancements if government doesn’t enforce strict regulations on this market. I believe this market needs extreme government intervention in order to prevent the harmful future
Hinman, Lawrence. “Abortion: A Guide to the Ethical Issues.” May 13, 2010. University of San
There are three types of wrongful birth cases (Knudsen, 2011). Firstly, the failure of a sterilization procedure. Secondly, the failure caused by the care provider to inform the parents-to-be of any birth defects or abnormal in their unborn child. Thirdly, the failure of an abortion attempt (Knudsen, 2011). When a plaintiff is making a wrongful birth lawsuit against someone the plaintiff must prove to the court that the health care provider was negligent and should be held responsible for their actions (Knudsen, 2011). The plaintiff must show that the health care provider owed a duty to the plaintiff, the duty was breached, and the plaintiff suffered damages as a result of the breach. Another important key inform...
Many arguments in the abortion debate assume that the morality of abortion depends upon the moral status of the foetus. While I regard the moral status of the foetus as important, it is not the central issue that determines the moral justifiability of abortion. The foetus may be awarded a level of moral status, nevertheless, such status does not result in the prescription of a set moral judgement. As with many morally significant issues, there are competing interests and a variety of possible outcomes that need to be considered when making a moral judgement on abortion. While we need to determine the moral status of the foetus in order to establish the type of entity we are dealing with, it does not, however, exist in a moral vacuum. There are other key issues requiring attention, such as the moral status and interests of the pregnant woman who may desire an abortion, and importantly, the likely consequences of aborting or not aborting a particular foetus. Furthermore, I assert that moral status should be awarded as a matter of degree, based upon the capacities of sentience and self-consciousness an entity possesses. In a bid to reach a coherent conclusion on the issue, the moral status of both foetus and woman, along with the likely results of aborting a particular foetus, must be considered together. Given the multiple facets requiring consideration, I assert that utilitarianism (Mill 1863) offers a coherent framework for weighing and comparing the inputs across a variety of situations, which can determine whether it is ever morally justifiable to have an abortion.
Abortion, the wilful termination of a pregnancy due to unintended conception, is a highly controversial and personal decision. For that reason, abortion can trigger strong personal responses for the individual experiencing the termination of pregnancy and the nurses associated who must respect the patient rights and autonomy as the standards of ethical nursing practice dictate, regardless of the type of care sought (Simmonds & Likis, 2011, p. 795). There are two main types of induced abortion surgical and medical. The World Health Organization (2005) states, “Of the estimated 211 million pregnancies that occur each year, about 46 million end in induced abortion” (Planning pregnancies before they even happen section, para. 1). Furthermore, in 2011 Canada alone reported 92,524 induced abortions. (Canadian Institute of Health Information, 2011, p. 1) While, abortion is legal in Canada and is evidently being exercised, many health care professionals view abortion as an ethical controversy. Leaving society to question whether the potential benefits of abortion outweigh the detriments and adverse effects associated?
In our society and culture, we are presented with many ethical controversies, all of which seem impossible to resolve. One of the most considerable debates in today's world is abortion. A person's value system and religious belief often influence their view on this complex situation. Since there are many strong arguments made for abortion and many against it, it becomes almost impossible to resolve. Among the many disagreements, some of the most common dealt with issues such as the right to live which makes abortion morally same as murder, along with a women having reproductive rights and the different circumstances that justify having an abortion such as abortion due to rape. In this paper we will briefly explore the pros and cons of these issues.
Unintentional pregnancies statistically bring a host of economic, emotional, and physical ills to mother and baby. About half of the unintended pregnancies in Washington State are aborted, according to the state Department of Health. That rate is consistent with the rest of the US. Even though there is a demand for abortion providers, man...
Thomson, J.J. (1971). A defense of abortion. In R.M. Baird & S.E. Rosenbaum (Eds.), The ethics of abortion: pro-life vs. pro-choice (pp. 29-44). New York: Prometheus Books.
I understand there are pregnancies that are unwanted, which have occurred by the voluntary engagement in the activity of reproduction. Whatever the case may be, which results in an unwanted pregnancy through voluntary engagement in the activity of reproduction, the couple has acted irresponsibly. For when a couple engages in the activity of reproduction, it comes with the possibility of responsibility in assuming parenthood.
Over the duration of the last century, abortion in the Western hemisphere has become a largely controversial topic that affects every human being. In the United States, at current rates, one in three women will have had an abortion by the time they reach the age of 45. The questions surrounding the laws are of moral, social, and medical dilemmas that rely upon the most fundamental principles of ethics and philosophy. At the center of the argument is the not so clear cut lines dictating what life is, or is not, and where a fetus finds itself amongst its meaning. In an effort to answer the question, lawmakers are establishing public policies dictating what a woman may or may not do with consideration to her reproductive rights. The drawback, however, is that there is no agreement upon when life begins and at which point one crosses the line from unalienable rights to murder.
Imagine…the birth of a human being into the world. 9 months of endless anticipation leading to someone’s first chance at seeing the world for the first time. While some enjoy the result of a pregnancy, leading to a new human being entering life, some are not so fond, or just can’t be in such a situation. Abortion is the supposed “cure” to this problem and is, for the most part, done safely. However, one of the factors stopping someone from committing an abortion is the consideration of moral status on the child.
Boss, Judith A. "Abortion." Analyzing Moral Issues. 6th ed. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Pub., 1999. 619-24. Print.
Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) was created to screen for disease, although more recently it is being used in choosing the sex of one’s child. PGD should be legal as long as the welfare of the participants remain a priority in regards to safety. I am not against the use of PGD to avoid health risks. A child should not be born to into this world without the opportunity to live a happy health life, free of ridicule, medications, pain and suffering.