Medical Ethics Flashcards
What’s IVF
In vitro fertilisation
What is fertility treatment used for?
Couples who can’t conceive a child naturally. This may be because of there reproductive organs, or homosexual relationships or passed the child bearing age.
What happens in IVF?
Eggs are collected
The egg and sperm are put together in a test tube
When an embryo is formed it’s carefully placed back in the womb to grow naturally.
What’s artificial insemination?
Sperms collected and placed into the uterus using artificial methods
This increases the chance of the mothers eggs being fertilised by the sperm and therefore a baby being created
Arguments for fertility treatment
Creating a new life can bring joy to couples. Life’s a gift from god therefore it’s a good thing.
God says to Adam ‘be fruitful and multiply’
Arguments against fertility treatment
God chooses who can have children, your going against gods plans
It’s not natural to bring a child in the world in any other way than sexual intercourse
Ethical problems with fertility treatment?
Doctors fertilise many eggs to increase the chances but this means they are left with spare ones. These embryos are used in further pregnancy or research but sometimes thrown away. People believe life starts when conception happens, so Christians think this is murder.
For abortion
It’s the woman’s body, it’s up to her what she does with it
The mother may not be able to support the child
Mother may have been raped
Mother may not be emotionally equipped to deal with the baby
The mothers life may be at risk
The child may have severe disability
The baby may be unwanted or be a reminder of an unhappy relationship
An abortion may be the most loving thing to do or he lesser of two evils
Against abortion
The baby has a right to life
Why should the women’s life be more important than the baby’s
If she didn’t want a baby she should have use precautions
The baby may not have had a good life eg (poor or have a disibility) but still it may enjoy what life it can have
Mother could put child up for adoption
Sanctity of life
Only god has the right to decide whether someone lives or dies
Against euthanasia
Only God should be able to choose when we die
Sanctity of life
We will die when the times right
Do not murder
People could take advantage of it and use it to commit murder
The act turns the accomplice into a murderer
For euthanasia
It’s alright if it’s passive, as that is just going with gods will
It’s acceptable if it ends pain and suffering as they are not things from God
It it’s a persons own choice whether they end their life or not
For animal testing
Millions of animals are killed each year, medical research is more worthy than death
Research on animals had lead to lives being saved
Animals don’t have a soul and therefore will not have the chance to have a relationship with God so it doesn’t matter if they die
If products weren’t tested, how would we know if they were safe?
God taught us humans have control over animals
Against animal testing
Some animals will suffer as a result of the tests
Psalm 24 teaches that all creatures belongs to God
Humans and animals have different biological make ups so how can we be sure that the results will be the same
Christians are taught to be stewards of the earth and should look after animals
