Ethics at the Beginning of Life Flashcards
ToP
Termination of Pregnancy
State the methods of ToP at < 14 weeks
Surgical : manual/electrical vacuum aspiration
Medical : Mifepristone, followed by misoprostol
(misoprostol can be administered @ home)
What is the medical method of ToP ?
Medical : Mifepristone, followed (24-48 hrs later) by misoprostol
State the methods of ToP at >= 14 weeks
Surgical : vacuum aspiration or dilation & evacuation (D&E)
Medical : Mifepristone, followed by misoprostol
(misoprostol administered in medical facility)
Benefits of medical abortion
Avoids surgery
Mimics miscarriage
Controlled by the woman ad can take place at home (<9 weeks)
Cons of medical abortion
May require more clinical visits than surgical abortion
Women may experience bleeding and cramping, and potential other side effects
Takes time to complete abortion (timing may not be predictable)
Benefits of surgical abortion
Quick procedure
Complete abortion is verified by evaluation of aspirated products of conception.
Takes place in a healthcare facility
IUD may be performed at the same time
Cons of surgical abortion
Requires instrumentation of the uterus
Small risk of uterine/cervical injury
Timing of abortion is controlled by facility and provider.
Outline key statistics relating to termination of pregnancy in England & Wales
Over 200,000 abortions - 18.6 per 1,000 women
89% under 10 weeks
87% medically induced
98% for reason (1a), 1.6% for reason (1d)
Outline key statistics relating to termination of pregnancy in Scotland
Over 13,500 abortions - 13.4 per 1,000 women
84.3% under 9 weeks, less than 1% over 18 weeks
99% medically induced
98.6% for reason (1a) ; 1.3% for reason (1d)
Outline key statistics relating to termination of pregnancy worldwide
73 million induced abortions each year
45% induced abortions are UNSAFE
97% of unsafe abortions are in developing countries.
Statistics regarding abortions in countries where illegal/ legal
IN countries where abortion is banned or permitted ONLY to save a women’s life or preserve her physical health only 1 in 4 abortions were safe.
IN countries where abortion is legal on broader grounds, nearly 9 in 10 abortions were done safely.
Describe the “Offences against the person act” 1861
Administering drugs or using instruments to procure abortion
(guilty of felony, convicted thereof shall be liable, penal servitude for life)
Procuring drugs &c. to cause abortion
(guilty of misdemeanour, convicted thereof shall be liable)
Describe the “Infant life (preservation) act” 1929
Punishment for child destruction
NOTE : Abortion was not a criminal act before 28 weeks if it was performed in order to save the life of the mother.
Describe the “Abortion Act” of 1967
David Steel MP
Statutory defences against 58&59 of 1861 act
Abortion allowed:
a) Social grounds (24 weeks)
b) Grave permanent injury
c) Risk to Life
d) Fetal Abnormality
MUST TAKE PLACE ON APPROVED PREMISES
1a Social Grounds
- Pregnancy has not exceeded the 24th week
- Continuance in pregnancy would involve risk, greater than if pregnancy were terminated, of injury to physical/mental health of pregnant woman/existing children of her family.
1b Grave Permanent Injury
Termination is necessary to prevent grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman.
1c Risk to Life
The continuance of pregnancy would involve risk to the life of the pregnant woman, greater than if the pregnancy were terminated.
1d Fetal Abnormality
There is a substantial risk that of the child were born it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped.
Key points in Law surrounding the abortion act
Females under the age of 16 may acquire a ToP without parental consent if competent and able to understand risks and procedures involved.
Abortion Act does not give patients a right to demand a ToP
Pregnant woman can refuse treatment even of it causes harm to unborn child.
Abortion Act 1967
Conscientious objection and abortion
NO person shall be under any duty, whether by contract or by any statutory or other legal requirement, to participate in any treatment authorised by the act, to which he has a conscientious objection.
Moral status of the embryo
Case Study
St George’s NHS Healthcare Trust vs SR vs Collins
S wanted a natural birth, had refused treatment for eclampsia, C-section was carried out against her wishes.
Court ruled her wishes could not be overridden, except if acting without capacity (she was not).
Personhood
When does a person become a person ?
What are the necessary qualifications for being a person ?
What is moral status ?
What it is morally permissible or impermissible to do to some entity.
To have moral status, an individual must be vulnerable to harm or wrongdoing.
Why is abortion of a foetus hard ? (relate to moral status)
The foetus has a full moral status from moment of conception or implantation.
There is a specific time point and change in moral status
It is a gradual process (thus more serious reasons needed as time progresses)
State the 4 views about why an embryo may have moral status
- Identity is important: the embryo is the same entity as the child will be
- The embryo has the potential to be a person
- Moral value is accorded when the embryo has the properties of a person
- The embryo has value given by others (conferred moral status)
What constitutes as a serious handicap ?
the probability of effective treatment, either in utero or after birth
the child’s probable potential for self-awareness and potential ability to communicate with others
the suffering that would be experienced by the child when born
What is foeticide ?
The act of causing death to a foetus.
Involves an injection through your abdomen to stop the fetal heartbeat
Potential Father’s Rights in Abortion
If a father’s pregnant partner seeks to abort an unborn child, having the father’s consent isn’t a legal obligation.
What is post-coital contraception ?
Also state the case related to this
Morning after pill
(Jackson) R v Secretary of State for health
Ethical concerns with abortion
Responsibilities/obligations of woman to a fetus.
Post-coital contraception
