Topic 12: abortion Flashcards
(18 cards)
Define reproductive autonomy
- Ability to control outcomes relating to reproductions
- E.g. contraceptive + pregnancy + family size
Describe the right to reproduce
- Negative = freedom to decide whether or not without interference
- Positive = interference by state who set up regulation + monitors reproductive services
Define abortion
- Ending pregnancy prematurely = termination
- Via medication or minor procedure
Describe the laws for abortion in UK
- Illegal
- Abortion act 1967 = permits doctor to perform under circumstances BUT doesn’t decriminalize abortion in general
- Human embryology + fertilization act 1990 = changes to gestational stages abortion can be performed
Give the criteria for abortion legally in UK
- Approved premises
- Performed by registered doctor
- Approved by 2 doctors
- Prior to 24 weeks = risk of women’s mental/physical health + exising children
- After 24 weeks = rare = severe fetus disability + save life of mother → up to 40 weeks
Describe abortion in UK post 2020
- Pre = needed to attend clinic to take 1/2 pills
- Post = pills can be taken at home = no need to attend clinic
- Up to 9 weeks 6 days for home pill = doctors need to certify less than 10 weeks
- Waiting time reduced = 10.7 → 6.5
Give the 4 principles relating to abortion
1) Autonomy: right to abortion if they wish
2) Beneficence: best interest of mother = psychological/physical
3) Non-maleficence: physical/mental harm of termination
Define the genetic criteria of personhood
- Person = human DNA
- Human conception
Describe consciousness ideology of John Locke for personhood
- Person = thinking + intelligent being = reason/reflection/consider itself = only possible by consciousness inseparate from thinking
- Human ≠ person = only with consciousness
Describe cognitive criteria ideology for personhood
- Focus on intellectual capacity
- Consciousness
- Reasoning
- Self-motivation
- Capacity to communicate
- Self-aware
Describe sentience + suffering for personhood
- Wrong to cause unnecessary pain to anything that can feel
- If cannot feel = no harm
- Personhood = setience = feel pleasure + pain
- A being’s capacity to suffer
Describe social criteria for personhood
- Person = societu recognizes + cares about you
- Realtionships + emotions + interactions
- Faith based = personhood is having a body + soul
- Culture-based = personhdd is someone accepted as meber of society
Describe gradient theory for personhood
- Personhood = degrees = development from conception →pregnancy→birth = moral value of zygote < embryo < newborn
- Mother has higher degree of personhood than fetus
Describe pro-life
- Extreme = life begins at conception
- General idea = life begins at heartbeat/brain activity
- All life is sacred
- Everyone has right to live
- Fetus = human from conception
- Abortion = murder = murder illegal in moral society
Describe pro-choice
- Extreme = abortion until birth
- General idea = until stage fetus viable
- Everyone = right to body as long as they don’t hurt others
- Value of life/rights of fetus = subordinate to mother
- Women = right to choose
Describe conscientious objection
- Doctor has right to CO based on personal ethical code
- Patient = no right to demand particular doctor for particular treatment
- But doctor ensures patient receives standard care
Explain the legal framework of consientious objection in UK
- If a doctor has a conscientious objection to abortion they don’t have to be involved
- But legal + professional duty to refer
patients to appropriate clinician within reasonable period - Must help if immediately necessary for life saving reasons + no one to assist
- Must help women who have already had abortion = need assistance post-op
Give the GMC guideline for CO
- Patient aware in advance
- Tell patient you don’t provide in careful manner
- Tell patient they have right to discuss with another practitioner
- Make sure patient = enough info to arrane to see another doctor without CO
