Question

what are the two arguments for and against late term abortion and heartbeat bills from medical ethics perspective? apply ALL of the principles autonomy, beneficence, justice, and non-maleficence to BOTH sides of the issue. Stray from the legal perspective and focus on the ethical perspective.

Answer 1

Late term abortion ; It is the process of termination of pregnancy in the late stages of pregnancy by induced abortion techniques.

Arguments for Late term abortion

• If the pregnancy cause any serious health problems to the mothers life, leading her to serious physical physiological issue and causing her life at risk, in such situation it shoul be performed.Here consider the ethical principle Beneficience, means doing good for the mothers health.Non maleficience also applicable here,not harming the patient by doing good or choosing best possible alternatives for her condition.
• If the pregnancy is because of the result of a gang rape or harrasmnet happened against the mother and she was not aware about her pregnancy intially, later detecting it. Here the ethical principle of Autonomy can be applied, its purely the patients wish to continue her pregnancy or not, decision is depending up on the patients wish, and she has the complete right to choose, what is best.

Arguments against late term abortion

• Every child has the right to grow.In the late term, usually the abortions are carried out in between 21-24 weeks of gestation.Here the principles of Justice to be applied. Which means fair treatment of all child and patients.here we need to safegaurd the child right to grow as a human.
• Only by the scan or other measures, the physical growth and anomaly of the child can not be detected.

Heart beat bill: It is the process of legal restriction of abortion by legislation, once the foetus heart beats are visible or audible in a scan.

Arguments for heart beat bill

• Every child has the right to be born and grow. Once the foetus has developed his or heart beat, nobody has the right to kill. It will be against child protection act.A life needed to be protected by applying the ethical principle of justice.

Arguments against heart beat bill

• By week 6, the fetal heart beat will be visible by ultra sonogram in most of the pregnancies. Only with the help of a beating heart, the featal anomalies and viability can not be detected.And in many of the cases, most of the mothers will be unaware that they are pregnant by 6 week.
• Women also have their own reproductive choices. To have a baby or not, to continue with her pregnancy or not. This bill does not protect or safegaurd the mothers choices.Some time they are forced to continue with the prgnancy because of this bill. Sometimes the pregnancy might be because of a gang rape, or advancing of pregnancy can affect both maternal and foetal health, all such issues are never addressed here.Here principles of autonomy, beneficience, non ameficience, justice nothing is safe gaurded by the law.

The various ethical principles applicable here are

1. Autonomy: Ability of the individual to take informed descion about their treatmnet plans and choices. (To continue her pregnancy or not, to have a baby or not in this condition, to go for a late term abortion or not)
2. Beneficience: Doing good for the patient. What ever treatemnet plans are choosed, it should promote safety, welness and good things for the patient.( To protect her physical health,Not to hurt her by continuing a anomaly pregnancy, or protect her dignity in case pregnancy is due to gang rape etc.)
3. Non maleficience: Do not hurt the patient by simply putting the legisltaions, save her thoughts, feelings and do not hurt her.( If continution of pregnancy cause any serious physical, mental problems to the mother, child etc dont force them).
4. Justice: Equal and fair distribution of services to all.Including the mother and the foetus. Both of them expecting justice here.