BIOETHICS
BIOETHICS
BIOETHICS
BIOETHICS 09
22
LECTURE | BY:
PRINCIPLES
SEXUALITY & HUMAN REPRODUCTION
Not harming another person.
Not using another person, by undermining their
AUGUSTINE AND THE FALL
voluntary informed consent through deception and
Augustine (354-440) saw the fall of man as the origin of
coercion.
sexual lust and passion.
Before the fall, sex was an act of will.
LIBERAL VIEW
Sexual shame required modesty.
Sex is permissible under basic standards that are
Sex was for marriage and should be done out of duty
moral.
(procreate) not pleasure.
MORAL NORMS
AQUINAS
All acts are allowed besides promiscuous sex.
Sex is for procreation, a primary good.
"Any act from which of its nature generation cannot
follow" is wrong.
ACCORDING TO FREUD
Failure to control sexual urges will undermine the
development of a virtuous character and can lead to
pathological shame.
NATURAL LAW
HUMAN REPRODUCTION
Moral actions follow that natural course of nature.
Reproductive ethics is concerned with the ethics of
Procreation is natural.
Human Reproduction and early-life issues such as
contraception and assisted reproductive technologies.
Acts that are impermissible
Adultery
THE ABORTION ISSUE
Pre-marital Sex
Abortion has been under consideration for the full
Fornication
extent of Western Civilization, and through ages,
Non-procreation Acts
societies have either banned or promoted the practice.
- Oral Sex
In 335 B.C.E., Aristotle promoted abortion as a form of
- -Masturbation
birth control for families with too many children.
- Anal Sex
Hippocrates, 429 B.C.E in his oath of practice “Similarly
- Contraceptives
I will not give a pessary to a woman to cause abortion”.
Homosexuality
THE COMMON REASONS CITED WERE: 6. Pansexuality
- may be attracted to some people and not others,
1. Child would intere with education, work or ability to but the gender of the person does not matter
care for dependents 7. Transsexuality
2. Could not afford a baby now - people who experience a gender identity that is
3. Did not want to be a single mother or was having inconsistent with their assigned sex and desire to
relationship problems permanently transition to the sex or gender with
4. Felt they had completed their childbearing which they identify, usually seeking medical
5. Not ready to have a child assistance
1. Legal point of view - Far from there being any concern for the
- states that marriage is constant happiness of the loved one, the lover, in order to
2. Religious point of view satisfy his [sexual] desire and still his [sexual]
- states that marriage is a sacrament appetite, may even plunge the loved one into the
depths of misery […] [and after having sex] the
TYPES OF MARRIAGE person is cast aside as one casts away a lemon
1. Monogamy which has been sucked dry.
- Marriage between one man and woman - Premarital sex is wrong because children would be
2. Polygamy or plural marriages brought into the world outside the safe confines of
- Refers to the marriage of more than one mate at a marriage. Homosexual acts have no tendency
given time. towards procreation at all; contraception
frustrates procreative ends; masturbation and
THREE FORMS OF POLYGAMY MARRIAGE pornography focus the sexual acts inwards
towards oneself, frustrating procreative ends.
1. POLYGYNY
- One husband and two more vibes When is sex really allowed
2. POLYANDRY
- One wife and two or more husbands - So, we can avoid the charge of objectifying and
3. GROUP MARRIAGE using a sexual partner merely as a means to an
- Marriage of several men to several woman end because in sex within marriage you are
treating each other as a whole person and thus
PROHIBITED MARRIAGES (PHILIPPINES) there is reciprocity. Sex within marriage is about
the whole person and not simply the genitals,
Marriage between relatives
sexual desire and pleasure.
Bigamy
Polygamy ISSUES ON CONTRACEPTION, ITS MORALITY AND
ETHICOMORAL RESPONSIBILITY OF NURSES
BIOETHICAL ISSUES
CONTRACEPTION
No divorce Law
DEFINITION
Child marriage
The deliberate use of artificial methods or other
techniques to prevent pregnancy as a consequence of
sexual intercourse. Contraception (birth control) - some birth control pills
prevents pregnancy by interfering with the normal - most modern birth control pills
process of ovulation, fertilization, and implantation. - the "morning-after" pill
Synonymous with family planning, planned - the IUD
parenthood, responsible parenthood, and birth
control. CONTRACEPTIONAL SEPARATES SEX FROM
TYPES OF CONTRACEPTION REPRODUCTION
Hormonal Methods – includes control pills, Depo Contraception makes it easier for people to have sex
Provera injections, and Norplant outside marriage. This is certainly true since sexual
Barrier Methods – includes condom, diaphragm, and intercourse without contraception carries a significant
cervical cap risk of conceiving a child, which most of those having
Spermicides – it contains nonoxynyl sex outside marriage would regard as a deterrent.
Intrauterine Devices – also known as IUD People think separating sex from marriage is wrong
Tubal Sterilization because:
Vasectomy - it makes immoral behavior less risky
Emergency Contraception - it undermines public morality by making it more
likely that people will have sex outside marriage
So, how does it become a moral issue? - it weakens the family
Contraception is inherently wrong
- Contraception is unnatural OTHER RELIGIOUS TAKE ON ABORTION
- Contraception is anti-life Episcopal Church approved contraception for purposes
- Contraception is a form of abortion of family planning.
- Contraception separates sex from reproduction United Methodist Church says that “each couple has
the right and the duty prayerfully and responsibly to
CONTRACEPTION IS UNNATURAL control conception according to their circumstances.”
The natural consequence of having sexual Evangelical Lutheran Church of America supports the
intercourse is conceiving a child. It is wrong to use of safe, effective birth control methods and
interfere with this. Therefore, birth control is believes that they encourage “responsible
intrinsically wrong. procreation.”
This argument depends on two other ideas: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints supports all
- it is wrong to interfere with the natural order of methods of contraception except surgical sterilization
the universe Other Christian denominations that support
- human beings interfere with the natural order of contraception include the United Church of Christ,
the universe all the time Unitarian Universalists, Mennonite Church USA, and
Church of the brethren.
CONTRACEPTION IS ANTI-LIFE
This argument is based on the premise that life is a
good thing.
This view argues that contraception is morally wrong
because:
- life is a fundamental good - it is a good thing
- those who use contraception are engaged in an
intentionally life act because they intend to
prevent a new life coming into being
SURROGATE MOTHERHOOD
WHAT IS SURROGACY?
“womb renting”
often thought to be a ‘treatment’ option for the
infertile couple or an alternative to adoption
TYPES OF SURROGACY
1. Altruistic Form
- based on gift relationship
CASE: 1. Natural Abortion/Spontaneous or Accidental
The case “Baby M” is one of the best examples of such a Abortion
situation. In 1985, Mrs. Mary Beth Whitehead signed a - the expulsion of the fetus through natural or
contract of surrogate maternity for her insemination with accidental causes
the sperms of the potential father, and delivery of the 2. Direct or Intentional Abortion
newborn to Mr. William Stern (the potential father) and his - deliberately induced expulsion of a living fetus
spouse, but after delivery of the baby, she refused before it has become viable
withdrawing the baby, decided to cancel the contract. Mr. 3. Therapeutic Abortion
Stern filed an action with the competent court to hold the - deliberately induced expulsion of a living fetus in
guardianship, and execute the contract. In the said case, order to save the mother from the danger of death
the “New Jersey Tribunal” judged that the surrogacy brought on by pregnancy
contract was valid, and terminated the parental rights of 4. Eugenic Abortion/Selective Abortion or Abortion on
Whitehead in favor of the Sterns. It was so judged that a Fetal Indications
couple was under the constitutional guarantee to conclude - recommended in cases where certain defects are
legally valid contracts on their rights of reproduction. discovered in the developing fetus
However, in February 1988, the “New Jersey Supreme 5. Indirect Abortion
Court” reversed the judgment of the lower tribunal, and - the removal of the fetus occurs as a secondary
restituted the parental rights of Whitehead. With the said effect of a legitimate or elicit action, which is direct
judgment, the Supreme Court adopted that the surrogating and primary object of the intention
mother could not decide with her free will due to economic
and social influences experienced by her. Nevertheless, the VIEWPOINTS ON ABORTION
Supreme Court did not reverse the lower court verdict The Conservative
leaving the guardian right at the side of Mr. Stern, as he The Liberal
had considerably more satisfactory financial standing The moderate or intermediate
compared to that of Whitehead, but granted Whitehead
with the right of visiting the child. CONSERVATIVE VIEWPOINT
It declares that abortion is never permissible, or at
BIOETHICAL ISSUE OF SURROGATE MOTHERHOOD most, is permissible if and only it is required to save
Are the surrogating mothers prone of the risks the pregnant woman’s life, as in the case of the
associated with the pregnancy and delivery? removal of a cancerous uterus or the removal of the
Does the surrogate maternity weaken the marriage fallopian tube, or a part of it, because of ectopic
relations of the couples? pregnancy.
Potential harm to surrogate's own child when he or
she learns she gave one child away and received LIBERAL VIEWPOINT
money in return. States that abortion is always permissible, whatever
Is the surrogacy comparable to the sale of children? the state of fetal development may be. If women are
truly to be liberated, this view contends, they must
MORALITY OF ABORTION, RAPE, AND OTHER PROBLEMS ultimately have full freedom to control their own
RELATED TO DESTRUCTION OF LIFE reproductive capacities.