THE COMPLEXITIES OF ABORTION
Two recent stories in the media reflect the difficulty of taking a consistent ethical stand on abortion rights. Susanne M. Sanchez, of Miami, Florida, wrote in the New York Times of her decision to keep all of her IVF triplets even though her doctor recommended “foetal reduction”. He told her that if one of her triplets were killed, the other two would have a better chance of surviving pregnancy without serious handicaps.
“While I am a feminist who believes in abortion rights, this was not the choice I had in mind,” wrote Ms Sanchez. “To spend years and tens of thousands of dollars trying to conceive a baby only to end with discussions of an abortion seemed to me an especially cruel twist of fate. But what would we do if the triplets were born with serious handicaps?”
As it happened, the triplets are now four years old and healthy, although they were born prematurely and spent a long time in intensive care.
- How long can you put off seeing the doctor because of lockdowns? - December 3, 2021
- House of Lords debates assisted suicide—again - October 28, 2021
- Spanish government tries to restrict conscientious objection - October 28, 2021
More Stories
After 49 years, SCOTUS strikes down Roe v Wade, abolishing a constitutional right to abortion
The US Supreme Court has struck down two of the most famous decisions in American history, Roe v. Wade and...
Fallen stem cell hero convicted in Swedish court
Once hailed as a stem cell technology pioneer, Italian surgeon Paolo Macchiarini has been convicted of causing bodily harm and...
Hollywood actress explains why she chose surrogacy: ‘I was terrified’
Hollywood starlet Jamie Chung, 39, surprised her fans last year when she and her husband announced the birth of twins....
First legal assisted suicide in Italy
Italy’s parliament is still debating the details of legal assisted suicide. However, last Thursday the first Italian to take advantage...
Re-examining autonomy
The buzzword cutting through the noisy controversy over the US Supreme Court’s repeal of Roe v. Wade is “reproductive autonomy”....
World swimming authority takes conservative stand on gender inclusion
Swimming's world governing body, FINA, has backed a new policy on gender inclusion which will stop most trans women swimmers...