Ethical Dilemmas In Prenatal Life

Pregnancy includes many different topics, such as conceiving, prenatal care, labor, birth, and adoption, so the ethical dilemmas that can occur are many. The reproductive system produces a new life, and at what point during the pregnancy this life has rights of its own is a much debated subject. Should a mother have sole maternal rights over the prenatal life, and therefore, the right to make choices as she sees fit? Or should the father have an equal say in the decisions? Perhaps once the child has reached a certain stage in development, neither the mother nor the father have the right to make certain decisions, like abortion, since the child has the autonomous right to live. This brings us to the ethical dilemmas and contrasting values
If testing is done strictly for informative purposes and to prepare the family for any abnormalities, it might not be as controversial. However, if test results come back positive for a genetic abnormality, such as Down syndrome, ethical dilemmas arise from a decision of whether or not to abort the pregnancy. For certain life threatening illnesses that would reduce a child’s life expectancy down to a couple of years, with a poor quality of life, the decision to abort might not seem so unethical. But if that’s the case, where do we draw the line? And, who decides what diseases or abnormalities would make it ethically ok to abort a
Every person’s perspective of morality is different, which is fine, provided they follow the rules in the society they live in. From a deontological perspective, we have to follow the rules and laws of society. From a virtues perspective, we might not always feel that what we are doing is the right choice, but if it’s the law, and we want to be good members of society, we do it anyway. As far as societies governing body is concerned, they have to set the rules for things like selective abortions according to all three ethical philosophies. First of all, they have a duty (deontology) to society and have to respect everyone’s right to make their own decisions. They also have a duty to protect the future generations. Secondly, governing bodies have to look at the consequences (consequentialist) of the actions they allow to take place, before making a decision on whether or not it should be permissible. And lastly, governing bodies have to consider the virtues of each individual, giving them the freedom to make their own choice when the consequences are not too great for society. In conclusion, the ethical dilemma surrounding selective abortion, is one that society as a whole chooses where to draw the line. When people begin to select their children based on eye color, or any other physical