Our culture has a stringent belief that creating new life if a beautiful process which should be cherished. Most often, the birth process is without complications and the results are a healthy active child. In retrospect, many individuals feel that there are circumstances that make it morally wrong to bring a child into the world. This is most often the case when reproduction results in the existence of another human being with a considerably reduced chance at a quality life. To delve even further into the topic, there are individuals that feel they have been morally wronged by the conception in itself. Wrongful conception is a topic of debate among many who question the ethical principles involved with the sanctity of human life. This paper will analyze the ethical dilemmas of human dignity, compassion, non-malfeasance, and social justice, as well the legal issues associated with wrongful conception.
What is Wrongful Conception?
Wrongful conception is a claim that the conception of a child is due the negligence of medical professionals to prevent said conception through proper sterilization techniques and contraception. This claim is generally not related to the results of whether the child is born healthy or not, but more so, on the claim that had the doctor or pharmacist taken the correct measures to assist in the prevention of conception, the individual would not have gotten pregnant. “As with other types of injury cases, a couple can seek compensation for the cost of the failed procedure, pregnancy costs, pain and suffering, lost wages, and loss of consortium” (Steffen, 2011, http://www.seolawfirm.com/2011/12/wrongful-conception-concerns-raised-when-errors-occur-during-ivf-and-pgd-testing/).
In addition, neglige...
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In vitro fertilization is a procedure to treat the genetic failure in the ovaries that allow a women to naturally conceive a child. Today’s advancements in technology has changed the in vitro fertilization market in many different ways. Personally being a product and witness of the “test tube” baby generation, I understand the happiness and completeness a family experiences when these procedures are successful. On the other hand, although people know a lot about this procedure, most don’t understand the negative effects it can have on families due to extreme technological advancements if government doesn’t enforce strict regulations on this market. I believe this market needs extreme government intervention in order to prevent the harmful future
There are three types of wrongful birth cases (Knudsen, 2011). Firstly, the failure of a sterilization procedure. Secondly, the failure caused by the care provider to inform the parents-to-be of any birth defects or abnormal in their unborn child. Thirdly, the failure of an abortion attempt (Knudsen, 2011). When a plaintiff is making a wrongful birth lawsuit against someone the plaintiff must prove to the court that the health care provider was negligent and should be held responsible for their actions (Knudsen, 2011). The plaintiff must show that the health care provider owed a duty to the plaintiff, the duty was breached, and the plaintiff suffered damages as a result of the breach. Another important key inform...
Over the duration of the last century, abortion in the Western hemisphere has become a largely controversial topic that affects every human being. In the United States, at current rates, one in three women will have had an abortion by the time they reach the age of 45. The questions surrounding the laws are of moral, social, and medical dilemmas that rely upon the most fundamental principles of ethics and philosophy. At the center of the argument is the not so clear cut lines dictating what life is, or is not, and where a fetus finds itself amongst its meaning. In an effort to answer the question, lawmakers are establishing public policies dictating what a woman may or may not do with consideration to her reproductive rights. The drawback, however, is that there is no agreement upon when life begins and at which point one crosses the line from unalienable rights to murder.
Giubilini A, Minerva F. (2013). After birth abortion: Why should the baby live? Journal of Medical Ethics, 39, 261. doi:10.1136/medethics-2011-100411
One of the biggest issue of abortion goes back to the controversial question of when human life actually begins. Many people will often argue that a fetus is a living being from the moment of conception and feel that it deserves the same legal protections as an adult, therefore making it immoral to kill it. Just like in our court system, we would not put an innocent person on death penalty. The fetus has done nothing wrong and has the right to live. As the editor of Christianity Today wrote, "abortion is one of those monumental issues of justice that comes along once in a lifetime. It is violence against children, a hideous act of poisoning or dismembering tiny bodies, then dumping them in a landfill or garbage disposal." On the other hand, those who are for abortion say that a fetus is only a "potential human being." The advocates for legal abortions want the mother to choose whether she keeps the baby or kills it, and the rights of a mother supersede the rights of a baby. John M. Sw...
Many arguments in the abortion debate assume that the morality of abortion depends upon the moral status of the foetus. While I regard the moral status of the foetus as important, it is not the central issue that determines the moral justifiability of abortion. The foetus may be awarded a level of moral status, nevertheless, such status does not result in the prescription of a set moral judgement. As with many morally significant issues, there are competing interests and a variety of possible outcomes that need to be considered when making a moral judgement on abortion. While we need to determine the moral status of the foetus in order to establish the type of entity we are dealing with, it does not, however, exist in a moral vacuum. There are other key issues requiring attention, such as the moral status and interests of the pregnant woman who may desire an abortion, and importantly, the likely consequences of aborting or not aborting a particular foetus. Furthermore, I assert that moral status should be awarded as a matter of degree, based upon the capacities of sentience and self-consciousness an entity possesses. In a bid to reach a coherent conclusion on the issue, the moral status of both foetus and woman, along with the likely results of aborting a particular foetus, must be considered together. Given the multiple facets requiring consideration, I assert that utilitarianism (Mill 1863) offers a coherent framework for weighing and comparing the inputs across a variety of situations, which can determine whether it is ever morally justifiable to have an abortion.
Thomson, J.J. (1971). A defense of abortion. In R.M. Baird & S.E. Rosenbaum (Eds.), The ethics of abortion: pro-life vs. pro-choice (pp. 29-44). New York: Prometheus Books.
I understand there are pregnancies that are unwanted, which have occurred by the voluntary engagement in the activity of reproduction. Whatever the case may be, which results in an unwanted pregnancy through voluntary engagement in the activity of reproduction, the couple has acted irresponsibly. For when a couple engages in the activity of reproduction, it comes with the possibility of responsibility in assuming parenthood.
Boss, Judith A. "Abortion." Analyzing Moral Issues. 6th ed. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Pub., 1999. 619-24. Print.
Caplan, A., & Arp, R. (2014). The deliberately induced abortion of a human pregnancy is not justifiable. Contemporary debates in bioethics (pp. 122). Oxford, West Sussex: Wiley.
Hinman, Lawrence. “Abortion: A Guide to the Ethical Issues.” May 13, 2010. University of San
Unintentional pregnancies statistically bring a host of economic, emotional, and physical ills to mother and baby. About half of the unintended pregnancies in Washington State are aborted, according to the state Department of Health. That rate is consistent with the rest of the US. Even though there is a demand for abortion providers, man...
Baird, Robert M., and Stuart E. Rosenbaum. The Ethics of Abortion: Pro-life vs. Pro-choice. Buffalo, NY: Prometheus, 1989. Print.
Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) was created to screen for disease, although more recently it is being used in choosing the sex of one’s child. PGD should be legal as long as the welfare of the participants remain a priority in regards to safety. I am not against the use of PGD to avoid health risks. A child should not be born to into this world without the opportunity to live a happy health life, free of ridicule, medications, pain and suffering.