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Abortion Ethical Dilemmas

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INTRODUCTION The abortion issue is a difficult moral problem and also an interesting topic for dissemination in ethical debates. There seems to be no compromise in the argument because it is a highly sensitive, complex and divisive issue. This essay will discuss the issues faced by a nurse who discovered that Ariel was planning an abortion and not going to inform her parents. This essay will identify the moral dilemmas involved.

ETHICAL AND LEGAL ISSUES The abortion issue is not ‘new’ to the nursing profession. The principle of autonomy is important in this case, Ariel has the right to choose to abort and not consent parents. Besides that, the decision making should be undertaken by Ariel, who is in the most suitable position to decide, …show more content…

Rights, both moral and legal, are justified claims which impose on others to act in a certain way or refrain from acting in a certain way, thus imposing positive or negative duties on others (Thompson et al., 1994). Nor does the fetus have legal rights. In common law, the fetus does not have a civil personality; rights are established at birth when personhood is established in law (Beazley, 1994). It is not possible to give equal rights to the fetus, when the fetus is inside Ariel, without encroachment on her basic rights. It is only persons rather than genetic humans who have a right to …show more content…

This is based on the principle of the sanctity value of life and also genetic view of the beginning of human life whereby a human being occurs at conception, and it is immoral to harm an innocent human being. In this case, abortion is not the only way for Ariel. As a healthcare worker, we should provide alternative options for our patient which is beneficence for our patient and also non-maleficence to the fetus. Ariel may have to consider an alternative option such as adoption which will be better for Ariel because she is still young and is not able to support her baby from the perspective of financial problems and also immaturity. If the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest, then the fetus will be the innocent victim, but in this case Ariel might be willing with the sexual relationship and she might be guilty on what she has done and that might be the reason she doesn’t want to inform her

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