Reproductive Rights ( healthcare ethics) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Reproductive Rights ( healthcare ethics) - Essay Example though in the Moschetta case, the biological as well as gestational mother is one and the same, the custody of the child is denied her for that was not the intent with which she entered pregnancy. Having looked at the precedents, it is important to note that in the domain of reproductive rights, broad generalizations cannot be made. The rulings will have to be made on a case by case basis considering the legal and ethical complexities that such cases present. Course A: If John and Jane conclude that it is unfair to abandon the baby and decide to act as agreed in the contract, then Gina will play no subsequent role in all decisions related to the child. Common sense would dictate that the issue of gender reclassification should be postponed till puberty, which would allow the child to better cope with the impending confusion and distress. Course B: But, if John and Jane are no longer in the picture after the fourth month of gestation and Gina decides not to abort as per her religious instructions, then obviously, she will be the sole custodian and hence has all parental rights. But there is another important factor to be taken into account – the mode of settlement. If both parties (John & Jane on the one hand and Gina on the other) amicably agree to dissolve the contract, then Course B will play itself out. Even if the disagreement escalates into a lawsuit, Course B is the only likely outcome. In the latter scenario, Gina will in all likelihood have her medical expenses covered during the gestation period. The fact that the pregnancy is in the fourth month (second trimester) makes abortion an unreasonable option. An abortion at this stage is painful for both mother and fetus. Irrespective of whether life begins at birth or at conception, the mere fact that the life of the mother will be jeopardized in a second trimester abortion is a strong ethical reason to not abort. As to the question of whether age should be a factor in Assisted Reproductive