Week 9 - Abortion Flashcards
What is abortion?
-From latin word = abortio
-miscarriage, premature, untimely birth
-In medicine = ending pregnancy prematurely/ termination of pregnancy
What does Abortion Act 1967 say?
- Permits doctors to perform abortions under certain circumstances:
–> it is carried out under certain premises (hospital, licenced clinic)
–> performed by registered doctor
–> approved by 2 doctors (in an emergency, abortioncan be certified by operating practitioner only)
-Does not decriminalise abortion in general - In England and Wales
What does the Human Embryology and Fertilisation Act 1990 say?
- It changes to the gestational stages at which abortions can be performed
What does the law say prior to 24 weeks to pregnancy?
-Abortion may be allowed on the grounds of a risk to woman’s mental/ physical health/ existing children
-In rare situations= abortion may be allowed to be carried out after 24 weeks
–> Severe disability of fetus or to save life of pregnant woman or prevent permanent injury to woman’s physical or mental health then abortions can be performed up to 40weeks
What does the abortion law in Northern Ireland say?
- Until recently, abortion was illegal in Northern Ireland
–>Seen as tantamount to murder unless the woman’s life was at risk or if continuing with the
pregnancy would cause serious physical or mental health effects to the woman.
–>Rape, incest and fatal foetal abnormalities were not grounds for legal abortion. - In 2018, Northern Ireland voted in a referendum to make abortion legal
- In October 2019, abortion was decriminalised and became lawful.
- New legal framework - Abortion Regulations 2020;
–>Abortions on request up <12 week of pregnancy
–>Abortions 12-24 week lawful in certain circumstances (severe foetal abnormality, serious
risk to woman’s health)
What circumstances might affect the moral status of abortion?
-Rape
-Prenatal screening shows high risk of severe learning disabilities
-Woman is depressed and feels unable to cope with motherhood
-Woman is single mother or poor
-Woman is only 16 years old
How are ethical principles affected by abortion?
- Autonomy = patient should have right to abortion
- Beneficence = best interests of mother (psychological and physical well-being)
- Non-maleficence = important to prevent harm to mother and foetus
-consider sanctity of life
What does ‘human’ mean?
-A biological term
-a human has human DNA
What does ‘person’ mean?
-A moral term
-refers to beings who are part of our moral community and deserve moral consideration
What are the ways to think about personhood?
- Social criterion
- Gradient theory
What does social criterion mean?
-You’re a person whenever society recognises you as a person or someone cares about you
-You matter morally when you matter to someone
What are the characteristics of personhood?
- Relationships
- Emotions
- Inter-personal interactions
Faith-based or religious teachings vs Cultural orders way of viewing personhood?
- Faith-based or religious teachings; Personhood refers to a (human) being,
having a body and a soul and their position in cosmological order - Cultural orders; Personhood refers to who, within any given culture, is
considered to be either a fully functioning and accepted member of society
What is the gradient theory?
-Personhood is a gradient
-Personhood comes in degrees in the process of development from conception through pregnancy until birth
-Fetus has a lower degree of personhood than mother
- Moral value in decreasing order: baby, embryo, zygote
What is a liberal/ feminist approach to abortion?
- Freedom of a woman to determine what happens to her body
- Focuses on paternalism, sexual inequalities, gender roles and oppression in healthcare
- Access to safe abortions = supports women’s choices and self-determination
