Teenage abortion
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Teenage Abortion
The introduction of laws—the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act and the Child Custody Protection Act—making it mandatory for medical practitioners to request for parental involvement in abortion-related decision-making has led to a massive drop in cases of teenage abortion in the US. According to New, since the introduction of these laws there has been a 50% reduction in cases of teenage abortion (3). The incidence of abortion among girls between 13 and 17 years dropped from 13.5% in 1985 to 6.5% in 1999 (New 3). However, the positive outcome of these legislations has done little to settle the debate on whether or not it is ethical for parents to give consent in abortion-related decision-making. On the one hand, there are scholars who argue that it is not ethical because reproductive rights are personal. On the other hand, there are experts who argue that parental consent is necessary for important medical decisions such as abortion. An analysis of rights-based ethics, care-based ethics, and the ethical principles of autonomy and beneficence demonstrates that parental consent is a necessity, but it is not absolute. In certain cases, medical practitioners can oust or override the decision of parents.
Rights-based Ethics
Under rights-based ethics, parents have the right to provide consent not only because they are the parties who will bear the greatest burden of the outcome of the abortion, but also because they have certain rights that naturally accrue to their positions as parents. These rights arise in four fundamental ways: parents have the legal duty to raise their children and that obligation necessitates access to decision-making rights; parents are also well-placed to make important medical decisions because of their close family ties with the patient; parents are also the only individuals who know the teenager well and can make decisions on the basis of the basis of her capacity to raise the
Institution:
Subject:
Date:
Teenage Abortion
The introduction of laws—the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act and the Child Custody Protection Act—making it mandatory for medical practitioners to request for parental involvement in abortion-related decision-making has led to a massive drop in cases of teenage abortion in the US. According to New, since the introduction of these laws there has been a 50% reduction in cases of teenage abortion (3). The incidence of abortion among girls between 13 and 17 years dropped from 13.5% in 1985 to 6.5% in 1999 (New 3). However, the positive outcome of these legislations has done little to settle the debate on whether or not it is ethical for parents to give consent in abortion-related decision-making. On the one hand, there are scholars who argue that it is not ethical because reproductive rights are personal. On the other hand, there are experts who argue that parental consent is necessary for important medical decisions such as abortion. An analysis of rights-based ethics, care-based ethics, and the ethical principles of autonomy and beneficence demonstrates that parental consent is a necessity, but it is not absolute. In certain cases, medical practitioners can oust or override the decision of parents.
Rights-based Ethics
Under rights-based ethics, parents have the right to provide consent not only because they are the parties who will bear the greatest burden of the outcome of the abortion, but also because they have certain rights that naturally accrue to their positions as parents. These rights arise in four fundamental ways: parents have the legal duty to raise their children and that obligation necessitates access to decision-making rights; parents are also well-placed to make important medical decisions because of their close family ties with the patient; parents are also the only individuals who know the teenager well and can make decisions on the basis of the basis of her capacity to raise the
Cited: Cherry, Mark. "Parental authority and pediatric bioethical decision making." Journal of Medicine & Philosophy 35.5 (2010): 553-572. Cumming, Christy. "Ethics for the pediatrician: Autonomy, beneficence, and rights." Pediatrics in Review 31.6 (2010): 252-255. Levine, Paul. Sex and consequences: Abortion policy and the economics of fertility. New Jersey: Prinston University Pree, 2004. New, Michael. "THe effect of parental involvement on laws on the incidence of abortion among minors." Insight (2008): 1-35. Ross, Francis. Families and health care decision making. Oxford: Uxford University Press, 2004.