Medical Ethics: Abortion

ABORTION ESSAY – PHILOSOPHY AND ETHICS

The medical issue that I have chosen to study is abortion. Abortion is the action of deliberately killing or removing an unborn child. This is controversial due to different beliefs about when a child has physical conscience or is ‘alive’ and for the reason in which a mother has for killing her unborn child. The ethical beliefs surrounding abortion depend on person to person and are strongly influenced by political and religious views. As technology improves the boundaries of what is allowed or is socially acceptable is being pushed and more people are questioning what should or should not be allowed, some are asking for a stricter laws but others are asking for looser regulations for the abortion of a child.

The current law surrounding abortion is based upon that a mother has 24 weeks after conception in which she can decide weather or not she wants to keep the child or not. Although this may be extended, to up to 40 weeks, depending on the physical health the baby may have, for example if the child is going to suffer from a sever handicap or illness then the mother is expected to make a decision whether if it is ‘worth’ the child being alive. Also the abortion limit may be extended if the mother of the child is at risk while carrying the child and in the case that the mother may be left with a disability or even die then the child can be aborted off the NHS at any point before labour. Recent developments have lead to the detection of unborn Childs physical properties before they are actually born, this allows for the option to abort a handicapped baby before it grows to be a fully understanding child. Additionally doctors can screen a mother to see what properties a child will have in unnatural birth, this way the parents can choose what gender, hair colour and other features there child could have.

In the past the government has always followed the beliefs of religion and it is until recently that the NHS has offered mothers the chance to abort. This meant that before now many mothers who did not wish to have there child turned to ‘back street’ abortion where they paid illegal doctors to carry out an abortion, these were very dangerous and painful, in a lot of cases the mother died having a backstreet abortion.

The main two types of Abortion are Medical and surgical abortion. Medical abortion is the use of drugs to prevent the multiplying of cells or the conception of the egg. This prevents the child from being born before it has a chance to grow. This type of abortion is used straight after (within 2 days) the women have had sex. The second type of abortion is surgical. This can be done at any point after the multiplying of cells and is the cancellation of a pregnancy via an operation.

The sanctity of life is the belief that every living being, including unborn foetus has the right to a life. Religious groups value this in there core beliefs, Catholics believe that life begins as soon as a child is conceived but abortion is still allowed if it protects the mothers life depending on which denomination of catholism it can vary. Seeks believe that the soul enters the body after 124 days so the child is not technically ‘alive’ until then making abortion acceptable but should still be seen as a last resort. Christians and Jews believe ‘Thou shalt not commit murder’ and many people view abortion the murder of an innocent child. As Christian believe all life is given to the world by god stated in Psalm 139 ‘For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother’s womb.’ Many say you should not interfere with the ‘will of god’. Although Christian views can not be generalised under one belief due to the diversity of beliefs. However most agree that god is omnipotent, on he has the power to create and destroy life. Therefor the church will never ‘agree’ with abortion but won’t condemn someone who chooses to have an abortion as evil or will prevent them from doing it.

Critisms to the sanctity of life would be that God provided us with free will and in order to inforce a womens right to abort a child would be to take away that god given right. In the case that the mothers life would be at risk from having her child it would be protecting one persons life to saving another, therefore the sanctatity of life would be preserved either way. Marry Anne Warren argues that something is not human until it meets certain criteria; sentience, emotionality, reason, communication, self-awareness, moral agency (having a moral code). Under this theory a foetus is not ‘alive’ and therefor is should not be counter as ‘life’.

In conclusion there is a variety of opinions on when life begins and whether abortion is ok depends on the individuals opinion. As it will be difficult for someone to prove when a baby gains full consciousness and should be considered a live nobody can make a outright decision meaning that in my opinion the law surrounding abortions up to 24 week is sufficient.

By Chris Alderman