Ethics Governance
Ethics & Governance - Resources and Articles |
| Articles indexes: a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | i | j | k | l | m | n | o | p | q | r | s | t | u | v | w | x | y | z | other | |
|
|
| Article - Abstract. To view full article click on the article title. | |
eMJA: Abortion: time to clarify Australia’s confusing laws At the same time, they appeal to populism to support legislative change in favour of easier access to late-term abortion. This paradox raises an intriguing point about public opinion and medical ethics. How can members of the public develop opinion unless they are told what is going on? The case was made known to the public (although the patient’s name and face were not shown) because a newspaper editor considered it to be of great interest to many people. The public rightly has an interest in this tragic case, as it relates to at least three controversial themes of significance to public and social health — disability, suicide and abortion. Unfortunately, in recent decades, balanced and informed debate about abortion has been lacking. Instead, the issue has been portrayed simplistically in terms of a woman’s “right to choose”, with little research into the desperate and often coercive circumstances and the harmful consequences of those choices. That late-term abortions are subject to unclear and complex state laws is testament to the fact that abortion is far from a closed case for the public, healthcare professionals and politicians. de Crespigny and Savulescu acknowledge that the case raises “profound and divisive ethical issues”. Full Article: http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/182_02_170105/letters_170105_fm-4.html |
|
2006 Ethics-Governance.com |
|||