Procreation and Ethical Dilemmas in Health Care

Procreation and Ethical Dilemmas in Health Care”  

From the scenario, examine the concept of health care ethics, and ascertain the fundamental way in which such concepts apply to procreation-related issues. Speculate on the major ramifications of using moral principles to make decisions concerning such issues.

Consider the concept of ethics in health care predicated on ethical theories and moral theories, and explore the connection of such ethics with ethics committee decision making. Rationalize the primary concerns of conception, wrongful birth, and abortion from the perspective of health care professionals who must make these decisions.

Healthcare ethics is the universal rule of conduct, derived from ethical theories that provide a practical basis for identifying what kinds of actions, intention, and motives are values. The recent ethical dilemma in regards to procreation- related issues is abortion. In 1973, the United States (U.S.) Supreme Court made a major decision regarding abortion the case of Roe v. Wade. It is found by the court that the choice of a woman to undergo an abortion is a right to privacy experience in the Fourteenth Amendment. Laws that trade off protected and compassionate abortion care create ethical dilemmas for medical professional. For instance, laws may ban certain safe procedures, involve unnecessary and costly extra services or equipment, mandate the communication of unrelated or inappropriate scripted information, or if not making abortion less safe and accessible.

Physicians feel the effects of the abortion controversy. There are cases in which physicians have filed successful litigation regarding physical and mental injuries suffered as a result of the controversy. Wrongful birth actions claim that, but for breach of duty by the defendant, a child would not have been born. Wrongful conception actions claim that damages were sustained by parents of an unexpected child based on the allegation that the child’s conception was the result of negligent sterilization procedures or a defective contraceptive device. Physicians can avoid liability in wrongful conception/pregnancy actions by obtaining oral and written consent that indicates that the physician has disclosed the inherent risks of the sterilization procedure.

Reference:

Pozgar, George D. Legal Aspects of Health Care Administration, 11th Edition. Jones & Bartlett Learning, 01/2011. VitalBook file.

Abortion – Ethical Issues in Health Care. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ethicalissuesinhealthcare.com/abortion.html