beginning of life lecture week 13/

Question 1

How many sterile couples in the US seek assisted reproductive technologies?

Answer 1

More than 5.3 million sterile couples in the US seek assisted reproductive technologies, which accounts for 18.5% of the population.

Question 2

What is the cost range of treatments for couples seeking assisted reproductive technologies?

Answer 2

The cost range of treatments for couples seeking assisted reproductive technologies is $10,000 to $100,000 per couple

Question 3

What are the different treatment options for assisted reproductive technologies?

Answer 3

The different treatment options for assisted reproductive technologies include intrauterine insemination (IUI), gametic insemination fallopian tube (GIFT), in vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryo transfer to uterus, zygote intra-fallopian transfer (ZIFT), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), and oocyte cryopreservation.

Question 4

What are some ethical concerns about assisted reproductive technologies?

Answer 4

Ethical concerns about assisted reproductive technologies include whether it is ethically acceptable to intervene in human reproduction, the moral value of embryos, genetic manipulation, cryopreservation, destruction of unused embryos, and the acceptability and implications of multiple parents.

Question 5

What are some ethical issues surrounding infertility treatments?

Answer 5

Ethical issues surrounding infertility treatments include autonomy, informed consent, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice, and whether infertility is a disability or a normal variation.

Question 6

What are some legal dilemmas associated with assisted reproductive technologies?

Answer 6

Legal dilemmas associated with assisted reproductive technologies include insurance coverage for technologies, inheritance and custody issues, and surrogacy laws.

Question 7

What are the different types of surrogacy and what are some ethical issues associated with them?

Answer 7

The different types of surrogacy include traditional and gestational surrogacy, as well as commercial and non-commercial surrogacy. Ethical issues associated with surrogacy include the disruption of usual relationships, motivation for surrogacy, and the right of the surrogate mother to refuse certain procedures.

Question 8

What are some questions to consider in a case scenario involving a man with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy who wants to have a child through assisted reproductive technologies?

Answer 8

Some questions to consider in a case scenario involving a man with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy who wants to have a child through assisted reproductive technologies include whether it is fair for Medicaid to not cover infertility treatments, whether the medical team is obligated to assist him, and whether the mother is feeling coerced or willing to care for the child.

Question 9

What are the regulations for genetic modification of embryos in the United States?

Answer 9

No Federal funds can be used to modify embryos. There is no legislation restricting privately-funded work.

Question 10

What is the policy in Canada regarding the alteration of cells of a human being or embryo?

Answer 10

Any alteration of a cell of a human being or embryo is not allowed.

Question 11

What is Germany’s policy on research regarding human embryos?

Answer 11

Germany limits any research on human embryos.

Question 12

In which countries is germline gene editing for reproductive purposes forbidden?

Answer 12

Germline gene editing for reproductive purposes is forbidden in Belgium, Denmark, and Sweden.

Question 13

What were the restrictions on abortion prior to the mid-1800s?

Answer 13

Prior to the mid-1800s, there were little restrictions on abortion.

Question 14

What led to the examination of abortion practices in the past?

Answer 14

Drop-in reproductive rates led to the examination of abortion practices.

Question 15

Why was the American Medical Association (AMA) concerned about abortions in the past?

Answer 15

The AMA was concerned that Protestant, American-born women were having more abortions than immigrants with lower SES. “Wrong” women with “good” gene pool were having abortions.

Question 16

In what year did all states in the US make abortion illegal?

Answer 16

Abortion was made illegal in all states in the US in 1910.

Question 17

What are the key points of disagreement regarding abortion?

Answer 17

The key points of disagreement are the moral status of the fetus and the needs, interests, and rights of pregnant women (privacy).

Question 18

What is the conservative view on the moral status of the fetus?

Answer 18

The conservative view is that the moral status of the fetus is the moral equivalent of an adult at conception. The mother is obligated to carry the fetus, and it is absolutely wrong to abort a fetus. At the extreme, there are no exceptions for rape, incest, or maternal threat to health.

Question 19

What is the liberal view on the moral status of the fetus?

Answer 19

The liberal view is that the fetus is a part of the woman, and she can do what she likes. It is always a woman’s right to have an abortion at any time. At the extreme, this could be by her choice at 35 weeks.

Question 20

What is the moderate view on the moral status of the fetus?

Answer 20

The moderate view is that both fetal and maternal rights should be valued. The level of moral status of the fetus increases with increasing gestational age, and viability, which is when the fetus can survive outside the womb. Processes that are necessary, such as an active nervous system, organogenesis, and genetic distinctness, denote fetal moral status.

Question 21

What are the reasons for abortion?

Answer 21

The reasons for abortion include unwanted pregnancy, product of rape or incest, non-viable defects in the fetus, a condition in the fetus that is unacceptable to parents, and a threat to the health of the mother.

Question 22

What are the rights of the pregnant woman regarding abortion?

Answer 22

The rights of the pregnant woman regarding abortion include the right to bodily integrity, the right to privacy, and the right to a full human life. A woman should not be forced to bear a child against her will.

Question 23

What is autonomy in the context of abortion ethics?

Answer 23

Autonomy refers to an individual’s right to make decisions about their own body and life, including the decision to have an abortion.

Question 24

What is the pro-choice stance in abortion ethics?

Answer 24

The pro-choice stance advocates for a woman’s right to make decisions about her own body and access safe and legal abortion services.

Question 25

What is beneficence in the context of abortion ethics?

Answer 25

Beneficence refers to the obligation to act in the best interests of others, including the pregnant woman and the fetus.

Question 26

What is the pro-life stance in abortion ethics?

Answer 26

the pro-life stance advocates for the right to life of the fetus and opposes abortion in most cases.

Question 27

Why is women’s well-being an important ethical issue in abortion?

Answer 27

Women’s well-being is important because it is necessary to ensure that a woman’s physical and emotional health is not compromised by pregnancy or abortion.

Question 28

What is non-maleficence in the context of abortion ethics?

Answer 28

Non-maleficence refers to the obligation to not cause harm, including to the fetus, during the abortion process.

Question 29

What is the concern related to harm to the fetus in abortion ethics?

Answer 29

The concern related to harm to the fetus is that the fetus is a vulnerable entity that requires protection and care during the abortion process.

Question 30

What is the concern related to using the fetus as a means to an end in abortion ethics?

Answer 30

The concern related to using the fetus as a means to an end is that the fetus may be treated solely as a means to an end, rather than as an entity with inherent value and rights.

Question 31

What is the role of healthcare workers as moral agents in abortion ethics?

Answer 31

Healthcare workers have a responsibility to provide care that is ethical and respects the rights of both the pregnant woman and the fetus.

Question 32

Why is justice an important ethical issue in abortion?

Answer 32

Justice is important in abortion because all individuals should have equal access to safe and legal abortion services.

Question 33

What is the duty of healthcare workers in offering all options free of bias in abortion ethics?

Answer 33

Healthcare workers have a duty to provide pregnant women with information about all available options for care and to do so in a way that is free from bias or coercion.

Question 34

What is the duty to protect the fetus in abortion ethics?

Answer 34

Healthcare workers have a duty to protect the fetus from harm and to provide care that is in the best interests of the fetus.

Question 35

Why is privacy/confidentiality an important ethical issue in abortion?

Answer 35

Privacy and confidentiality are important because they protect the autonomy and dignity of the pregnant woman and ensure that her medical information is kept confidential.

Question 36

What are the disparities in maternal mortality?

Answer 36

Black, American Indian and Alaska Native women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women, and these disparities are rooted in racism and discrimination.

Question 37

Why are disparities in maternal mortality an issue of justice and non-maleficence?

Answer 37

Disparities in maternal mortality are an issue of justice and non-maleficence because they involve the unequal distribution of healthcare resources and the potential for harm to vulnerable populations.

Question 38

What is the professional responsibility model in maternal-fetal ethics?

Answer 38

The professional responsibility model recognizes the autonomy-based and beneficence-based obligations to the mother and the beneficence-based obligations to the fetus, without automatically reducing the rights of either entity.

Question 39

What is fetal intervention?

Answer 39

Fetal intervention refers to medical procedures performed on the fetus, while it is still in the womb, to prevent harm or improve outcomes.

Question 40

When should fetal intervention be recommended?

Answer 40

Fetal intervention should be recommended when the therapy has a high probability of being life-saving or preventing serious harm to the fetus