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Y2S2M4 > Reproductive Ethics > Flashcards

Reproductive Ethics Flashcards

1
Q

What is the termination of pregnancy (TOP) in the UK?

A

A medical procedure to end a pregnancy performed through pharmacological or surgical means

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2
Q

How is TOP provided in the UK?

A

It is provided on the NHS free of charge either directly or through affiliated clinics (e.g., BPAS).

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3
Q

How can one access TOP in the UK?

A

You can self-refer or be referred by a GP.

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4
Q

Under which act is TOP regulated in the UK?

A

The Abortion Act 1967.

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5
Q

When was TOP first seen historically?

A

In the 13th century, linked to teachings by the Christian church.

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6
Q

What was the stance on abortion until ‘quickening’?

A

Abortion was permissible until fetal movements were felt, around 20 weeks.

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7
Q

What significant change occurred in the early 19th century regarding TOP?

A

TOP before quickening became punishable by death, and in 1837, it was made generally punishable by death.

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8
Q

What did the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act entail?

A

It made TOP punishable by ‘lifetime penal servitude.’

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9
Q

What was the consequence of the Infant Life Preservation Act of 1929?

A

It made it illegal to kill a viable fetus (fixed at 28 weeks) except when the woman’s life was at risk.

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10
Q

What was the maternal mortality rate due to illegal abortions around 1929?

A

Around 15% of maternal mortality was due to illegal ‘backstreet’ abortions.

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11
Q

What happened in 1938 involving Dr. Alex Bourne?

A

He was acquitted for performing an abortion on a suicidal 14-year-old who had been gang-raped, marking a significant legal precedent.

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12
Q

What did the Abortion Act of 1967 allow?

A

Access to abortion on the NHS if the continuation of the pregnancy would involve greater risk to the woman’s physical or mental health.

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13
Q

What did the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill of 1991 establish?

A

It set a limit to 24 weeks for abortion.

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14
Q

What are the conditions under which the Abortion Act 1967 allows termination?

A

Two registered medical practitioners must agree that the pregnancy is under 24 weeks and poses a greater risk to the woman’s health than termination.

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15
Q

What percentage of pregnancies in the UK are unplanned?

A

48%.

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16
Q

How many TOPs occur annually in the UK?

A

Approximately 200,000.

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17
Q

What was the impact of the Covid pandemic on TOP rates?

A

There was an increase associated with difficulties accessing contraception and the cost of living crisis.

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18
Q

What demographic primarily undergoes TOP?

A

57% of those terminating a pregnancy were already mothers, and 65% were in a relationship.

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19
Q

What age group has seen the biggest increase in TOP?

A

Patients aged 30-34.

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20
Q

What is the proportion of women who will have a TOP?

A

1 in 3.

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21
Q

What taboo exists regarding TOP?

A

Access to termination is under threat in several liberal democracies.

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22
Q

Why is the topic of TOP controversial?

A

The main ethical argument centers on the question of ‘what is life?’

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23
Q

What are the sanctity of life arguments against TOP?

A

Life is sacred, initiated at conception, and ending it is seen as murder or interference with divine will.

24
Q

How is life defined by law in relation to a fetus?

A

A fetus has no legal rights before birth and must be ‘born alive’ to gain legal rights.

25
What is the humanist perspective on the value of human life?
Humanism advocates for the value of the human individual and emphasizes quality of life over the right-to-life of a fetus.
26
What is the naturalist view on TOP?
An embryo/fetus is alive but cannot survive independently; thus, it is not considered a life.
27
What is the concept of potentiality in a humanist view?
Moral concern for a fetus increases as it approaches term, but it does not equate to equal consideration with an existing person.
28
What rights are in conflict for a fetus?
The potential rights of the fetus conflict with the full rights of the pregnant adult, including the right to self-determination.
29
What is bodily autonomy?
The principle that no person has the right to use another person's body without consent.
30
How were women viewed in terms of property historically?
Women were considered property owned by their husbands, affecting their legal rights and autonomy.
31
What is couverture law?
Historical laws that legally subsumed a woman upon marriage, denying her separate legal identity.
32
What did John Rawls describe regarding burdens and privileges?
The significant burden of producing the next generation disproportionately falls on women due to the risks of pregnancy.
33
What is the social burden of reproduction for females?
Women perform a disproportionate amount of childcare and experience a significant wage drop after having children.
34
What are some conditions associated with PE?
Immunosuppression, sepsis, depression, diabetes, hypertension, cardiomyopathy.
35
What is the social burden of reproduction for females?
Females perform a disproportionate amount of childcare, even when employed outside the home. They see a significant wage-drop after having children and are less likely to be promoted. The lifetime wage penalty for British women on average for having children is 45%.
36
Are there any significant privileges to compensate for the burden on women?
No, there aren’t even though there should be. Evidence shows unpaid care work, unequal political representation, and unequal legal and corporate representation. Poverty disproportionately affects women and girls worldwide.
37
What are the complications of childbirth?
Up to 85% of vaginal births will involve perineal trauma. 1/30 vaginal deliveries will have a 3rd or 4th degree perineal tear. 1/10 will have an instrumental delivery, with high risk of injury. Other complications include perineal infections, hemorrhage, Caesarean risks, PTSD, urinary incontinence, and postnatal depression.
38
What pushes people to result in termination?
The burdens of childbearing and the failure of society to equalize these childcare burdens.
39
What are some statistics that highlight the impact of burdens?
In 2022, 60% of women cited inability to absorb childcare costs as the reason for termination. It costs £175K to raise a child to adulthood in the UK. Additionally, 44% of absent parents paid over 90% of childhood maintenance due.
40
What is the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) opinion on abortion?
Abortion care is an essential part of sexual and reproductive healthcare, and the decision to have an abortion should be entirely up to the individual, without fear of prosecution.
41
What is the rights gap?
Legally, the situation doesn’t meet the requirements of autonomy. If it is healthcare, two healthcare professionals decide if a termination of pregnancy can happen instead of the patient.
42
What direction of movement has the RCOG gone towards?
The RCOG wants decriminalization of abortion in England, stating that abortion is a healthcare decision that has no place in the criminal code.
43
Why has the RCOG decided on this position?
Due to a rise in investigation and prosecution of women who have suffered late-term pregnancy loss, leading to trauma and invasion of privacy.
44
What is a life legally?
Legally, a fetus doesn’t have any rights or legal existence before birth. Termination is considered illegal unless conditions are met under the act.
45
What is conscientious objection?
Healthcare professionals have the right not to be involved in terminations of pregnancy if it counteracts their personal beliefs.
46
Who is Heidi Crowther?
She brought a case challenging the Abortion Act in 2021, arguing that permitting late-term abortion for 'serious handicap' amounted to discrimination against the disabled.
47
What do some people argue about the decision regarding late-term abortion for serious handicap?
Some argue that individuals who abort under this clause aren’t actually that seriously handicapped, allowing selection for cosmetic issues.
48
How serious is serious in terms of abortion statistics?
In 2021, 1.6% of abortions were underground, with 8.1% of these at or over 24 weeks due to congenital malformations and other disorders.
49
What are eugenics?
The study of how to improve the genetic fitness of the population through selective reproduction, developed by Sir Francis Galton in the 1920s.
50
Who adopted eugenics?
The Nazis used eugenics as justification for medical torture and atrocities, including forced sterilization and euthanasia of disabled individuals.
51
How can eugenics be criticized?
It led to serious violations of human rights and is profoundly anti-humanist to allot differential value to the lives of some humans over others.
52
What counts as eugenics?
Antenatal screening, termination for serious handicap, IVF, gene editing, and genetic counseling.
53
What is the controversy around IVF?
IVF involves creating embryos in a lab and selecting the 'best' ones for implantation. This raises ethical questions similar to termination based on antenatal screening.
54
What is the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act?
Amended in 2008, it regulates embryo testing and prohibits sex selection for social reasons, allowing it only for sex-linked diseases.
55
What is gene editing (CRISPR-Cas9)?
Techniques that may alter single genes within embryos, illegal in the UK but reported to have been performed in China.
56
What are the ethical concerns of gene editing?
Concerns include unknown future effects, equality of access, and increased stigma associated with certain diseases.
57
What is the link between eugenics and gene editing?
Activists see gene editing as eugenics, based on assumptions about the quality of life of disabled people and the value of diversity.

Y2S2M4 (18 decks)

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