Amongst the cases presented in the American Medican Association (AMA) Journal of Ethics Case Index I have chosen to discuss the one titled “The Question of Uterine Isolation in Catholic Health Care Ethics”.
The scenario in summary is as follows: A catholic woman undergoes her fifth Caesarian-section in a catholic hospital. Given that under such circumstances future pregnancies pose serious risks for both the mother and the child, the surgeon discusses alternatives to avoiding future pregnancies with the woman, including hormones, condoms, abstinence, and tube ligation.
How might this scenario play out or impact you in your role as a nurse practitioner?
This is a challenging situation for me as a nurse practitioner and a practicing catholic.
As a catholic, it is difficult to convince a catholic mother to voluntarily stop giving birth permanently through this method (tubes ligations). Furthermore, the procedure is to be performed in a catholic hospital.
As a nurse, I understand the severe consequences related to subsequent pregnancies in this woman who is undergoing a fifth c-section. Based on evidence, this woman is at high risk of uterus rupture leading eventually to death of both her and the baby (Rozenberg, 2005).
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Under the conditions described in this case, performing a tube ligation would be for the sole purpose of preventing subsequent pregnancies. The procedure would therefore be considered an intentional direct sterilization. In addition, it would be illegal to perform this procedure at this point. In fact, the law requires full informed consent followed by a waiting period of 30 days or at least 72 hours in the case of emergency surgery or premature delivery (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2016). Furthermore, performing tubal legation, would be against catholic teaching as the purpose is to prevent future procreation and nothing
I learned that as a nurse it is my duty to always consider my own well being, along with my patient’s. I must keep a high moral character both in the workplace and in my personal life. I must continue to educate myself and keep myself up to date with all the latest nursing practices and research. I must subject myself to peer review and evaluation. I must never let my personal feelings about a patient’s lifestyle affect my care for them. When met with a tough choice that places me in an ethical crisis I must keep a good head on my shoulders and always have my patient’s best interests in mind. If I feel that a situation at work is in direct conflict with my personal values or my oath to be an ethical nurse I must go through the proper channels to work through the problem.
Access to emergency contraception has been heavily debated issue, because there has to be a balance between protecting healthcare providers’ religious and moral beliefs on one hand, and providing a uniform standard of care and maintaining patients’ rights on the other. This principle gives a significant approach to the analysis of ethical questions arising from the general obligation to preserve human life, and the limits of that obligation.
The Orthodox Jewish women must consult with their Rabbi for approval of procedures or treatments; amniocentesis or elective cesarean sections. In such cases Orthodox Jewish couples may call their rabbi to ask for guidance on the subject or to get a blessing from him that all will go well. This would not be done in medical emergencies, such as a cesarean section for fetal distress or for inductions for medically indicated reasons (Abdelhak 2005). In the Orthodox Jewish community they believe in "Be fruitful and multiply". It is Gods will how many children she will have, in this case the woman will avoid ever having a cesarean section as it can limit the amount of children she can have and she will not be able to fulfill Gods will.
The government seemed to agree with this statement because the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act was passed in 2003. The U.S. Legislation even released a statement saying “ A gruesome and inhumane procedure that is never medically necessary and should be prohibited”. There was also a statement from our then president, President Bush “ Terrible form of violence directed against children who are inches from birth”(Chittom and Newton). Complications for having an abortion increase 36% after the eighth week. The death of a woman grows higher with the longer you wait. There are 8.9 deaths for every one million abortions at 20 week or later("ABORTION AFTER THE FIRST TRIMESTER.").There are two common methods for having a Late-term Abortion Dilation and Evacuation(D and E), and Intact Dilation and Extraction( D and X). The most common one out of the two is Dilation and Evacuation. Dilation and Evacuation is the process of dismembering and extracting in pieces. Intact Dilation and Extraction is the more gruesome of the two. The process can take two to three days. First you dilate the cervix, then put the baby in a breech position. A breech position is where the baby is coming out feet first. The next thing is the doctor will pull the feet then proceed to go in, and make an incision at the base of the skull. The brain tissue is then removed and the skull collapses, and the rest of the body is removed( Chittom and
In this paper I will discuss the relevance of J.J. Thomson’s argument in her article, A Defense of Abortion, to that of pregnancy reduction and if there is any relevance, if there are exceptions or situations where that might change. J.J. Thomson’s argument in A Defense of Abortion is that the one thing a person has rights to is his/her body and the right to control what happens with it. Thomson also states that there is an innate desire and need for self-preservation that we all have that must additionally be considered.
”The rate of sterilization found in this study was twenty-three percent overall, is slightly less than the twenty-five percent rate found in the previous similar study” (Boroditsky, Fisher and Sand). “Minority women, who more frequently experience unintended pregnancy, may choose tubal sterilization in response to prior experiences with an unintended pregnancy” (Unintended Pregnancy …). Doctors should not sterilize anyone who is not able to make the decision on their own and let them decide for them self. “Take steps to ensure all women enjoy full sexual and reproductive rights and have access to full range of acceptable reproductive health service” (Forced sterilization).
In the United States, the late term abortion procedure, Dilation and Evacuation, inhumanely terminates the unborn human fetus and causes harmful side effects to the woman. The medical procedure has been legalized although the actions performed during the process raises ethical concerns for the way the physician executes the fetus.
During the second trimester, a method is used called Dilation and Evacuation (D&E). During D&E, a forceps is used to take out larger pieces of the child, while a curette scrapes the smaller tissues out. Following this, a vacuum extracts any remaining pieces of the child. During the third trimester, a (now outlawed in most states) procedure is performed called “Partial Birth Abortion” During partial birth abortion, the child is partially delivered, and the skull is subsequently crushed or drilled into, thus killing the child.
This week marks the forty-sixth anniversary of Pope Paul VI’s encyclical Humanae Vitae, a document which clarified the Church’s moral teaching on contraception. What is contraception? Contraception is, “any action which either before, at the moment of, or after sexual intercourse, is specifically intended to prevent procreation whether as an end or as a means” (Humanae Vitae 14). There are various methods of contraception that temporarily or permanently sterilize a couple, thus making it impossible to have children. Contraception destroys the union and love between couples. In this we find that contraception violates God’s plan of procreation. Contraceptives go against the gift of fertility by treating pregnancy as a disease. The issue of contraception has drawn worldwide attention with people divided on whether it is morally permissible to use any form of contraception. Society views contraception as a development in the modern world that helps in the regulation of birth. We find that many Catholics don’t understand this issue and the Church’s teaching on contraception has been misunderstood. The Church makes it clear through Humane Vitae that any use of contraception is morally wrong, for it violates the dignity of marriage and God’s plan of procreation. It is our understanding that marriage is a sacrament of love between two people, instituted by God, for the whole purpose of continuing his plan of creation. Marriage is the foundation of
This usually occurs during the second or third trimester. The cervix is dilated for the entry of surgical forceps (AbortionTV). The fetus is partly pulled though the vagina in a breech style. The legs of the fetus are hanging out of the womb. The doctor forces the scissors into the back of the head and spreads the scissors to increase the wound size. A suction cup is held over the fetus’s head as the brains are sucked out (AbortionTV). The body is removed and the womb is cleaned of any other birthing particles. The partial abortion procedure can have fatal side effects such as infection of the cervix, excessive bleeding of the womb, chances for the mother to be fertile decreases, and causes scarring of the uterine wall. Medical experts thought the fetus couldn’t feel the pain of the scissors going through its head but, they were wrong. Studies show that it can feel the pain three to five times more than an adult that would experience it (AbortionTV). The tiny fetus’s are sedated and numbed up so the won’t feel the intense pain.
This author has chosen to discuss the ethical issues of abortion. This is a highly debated topic that will exist amongst women. It is happening at high rates. “In 2013, 664,435 legal induced abortions
With reference to abortion, examine and comment upon the issues that emerge from keeping up with developments in medical ethics, whilst maintaining religious principles and/or ethical values. (Total for Question 1 = 50 marks)
The issue of birth control remains one of the most controversial issues within the Catholic Church dividing members at all levels including the clergy. The Roman Catholic Church for the past 2000 years has been a major opponent of artificial birth control (BBC). Pope Paul VI made a clear declaration on the use of birth control when he wrote ‘the Encyclical Letter ‘Human Vitae’ on July 25, 1968 which banned Catholics from using contraceptives (Pope VI). These important declarations demonstrate the power of the Papacy to shape public policy on matters relating to human health and reproduction on a global level. The belief within the Catholic Church is that God have the sole power over the creation of life and humans have no role in this
The most probable method of abortion is called dilation and curettage. General anaesthetic is provided to the pregnant mother while the gynaecologist opens (dilates) the cervix with instruments called dilators, and then inserts a hollow tube through the cervix. Suction is applied to remove the retained tissue in the uterus. If the abortion is to be carried out on the 20th-24th week, 2 general anaesthetics with 2 nights will be supplied.
Abortion is a highly-debated topic of whether it is ethical for a woman to decide to have one. Abortion is any of various surgical methods for deliberately terminating a pregnancy. When we speak of abortion today, we mean induced abortion performed by trained doctors, not including miscarriage (MacKinnon & Fiala, 2015). Some current methods of abortion are morning-after pill, mifepristone, uterine or vacuum aspiration, dilation and curettage, saline solution, prostaglandin drugs, hysterotomy, and partial birth abortion. Abortion involves questions about rights, happiness, and well-being, as well as the status and value of human life. The people who think it is ethical to have an abortion stand on the Pro-choice side and the people who think it is unethical stand on the Pro-life side. The liberal view of abortion supports abortions and the conservative view opposes abortion. There are many legal, religious, and medical conflicts that are included in the debate over abortion. The arguments made from both sides help us better understand whether a woman should have an abortion.