Ethics and Reproduction Flashcards
What law is in place for reporting sexual offences in Scotland?
Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009
Is informed consent required for sexual acts?
No; free agreement
Can a child under 13 consent to sexual activity?
No; if you are told this by a patient you must contact social services
What are the laws surrounding contraception to a child?
You may provde contraception to a child under 16 as long as you assess the child as being competent to make this decision and you give enough information for the patient to give informed consent
What do the Fraser Guidelines outline?
When a young person can consent to advice/ treatment for sexual matters for themselves and is assessed by the treating doctor
What are in Fraser’s Guidelines?
He/she has sufficient maturity and intelligence to understand nature and implications of proposed treatment
He/she cannot be persuaded to tell parents
He/she is very likely to begin or continue having sexual intercourse with or without contraceptive treatment
His/her physical or mental health is likely to suffer unless he/she received the advice or treatment
The advice or treatment is in the young person’s best interest
At what age in Scotland is capacity assumed?
16 or over
What are common arguments against assisted reproduction?
Harming women and families
Not natural and therefore intuitively wrong
Playing god; no respect for sanctity of life and conception
It artificially creates embryos, many of them are destroyed
What can you as a student or clinician conscientiously object to?
Assisted reproduction
Prescribing contraception
Taking part in ToP
What is the role of HFEA (human fertilisation and embryology authority)?
Licenses fertility clinics and centers carrying out in vitro fertilisation (IVF), other assisted conception procedures and human embryo research
What are some examples of the codes of practice from HFEA?
Right to people seeking treatment to proper consideration of their request/ entitled to fair assessment
Concerns for welfare of child
Preimplantation tissue typing for treatment of an existing child who is affected by a serious or life-threatening condition
Sex selection: only permitted for medical conditions
Creating an embryo with 2 genetic mothers to treat serious mitochondrial diseases
When can research be performed on an embryo in terms of IVF?
Up to 14 days (when primitive streak appears)
What will the MDT meeting discuss in terms of IVF?
Is it legal?
Is it practical?
Do we have all the appropriate information?
Is treatment ethical for all involved: autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice, utility
