Care Directive/ Living Will

Healthcare is and has always been an important and fundamental part of human life and as such, everyone endeavors to be the best they can at all times. This is achieved by being both preventive of the fact and engaging in all measures to prevent the contraction of illnesses and infections or being reactive and seeking the appropriate medication and other forms treatment. However, this is not readily and equally available to everyone and as such most people have always been in need of service but cannot access it or cannot afford it. One of the most important services to be provided to people all over the world from the inception of medical services is mainly in the child birth arena. The process of delivering and/ or has always been vital with the infant mortality rates being indicative of the rate and the advancement of a country’s medical field. However, there are ethical issues that arise along with this responsibility. There has been the issue of abortion and whether or not it should be allowed medically. Abortion is the (medical) procedure or process of ending or terminating a pregnancy before the mature date. It is done either through medicine and/ or through surgery (MedlinePlus, January 28,, 2013).

Abortion has been a big issue in a lot of countries from both a political and also a religious standing. To some extent, while it being seen that a society is liberal by allowing and accepting the practice of abortion there are also societies that are against and speak out against the same practice outright. However, from a medical perspective, it is at times a necessary practice and while it has been called an evil, it sometimes could be warranted. There are and have been medical complications in women that have a bearing on their health especially during pregnancy. In some of these cases, and more, abortion is the best and most applicable choice to save the parent’s life and thus reduce suffering (Cindy 2011).

This position is advised by first, the value as a medical and public practitioner that service is to be given to the client first, to the best of the practitioner’s ability and knowledge. The first obligation by the medics and specifically the doctors and/ or nurses is to the parent of the unborn child. The service provider is supposed to make sure that the parent is safe and has the best of health. Thus if there is sufficient information and/ or evidence that the progress of the child in the mother’s womb as it develops from embryo to fetus has a negative effect on the mother, the doctor is allowed and is governed by his conscience to make sure, first that the mother remains healthy and safe. In this case, the doctors would be professionally supposed to govern his patient’s health (Ladock, 2013).

Secondly, the doctor is also governed by the principle that he is supposed to fully disclose all information pertaining to his patient’s health and well being. In this case the doctor may have the information that the patient’s health and possibly life is at stake and/or will be risked by the pregnancy; he is obligated to disclose this information completely to the patients. The patient on the other hand, will most definitely choose to save their lives as the future presents chances of getting more children.  These opportunities will most likely arise if the there is a chance that while the mother’s life may be endangered by the unborn child’s life, the child’s life is not guaranteed to be as is supposed and/ or in some cases, the child is not guaranteed to survive or live. The best course of action that is best to take is to save the mother’s life that is most certainly in danger instead of trying to save the child’s life which is not only endangering another life, but it is also at risk in itself. This is done specifically through a medically done abortion.

Sometimes there are cases that will directly warrant an abortion as the first immediate choice. Whenever someone has gone through a rape ordeal and unfortunately becomes pregnant from the ordeal, the mother is faced by the impossible choice of having to decide whether to have the child who will be the constant reminder of one of the most traumatizing ordeal of her life, or to have abortion which in this case, is an equally traumatizing event in any woman’s life. For most people, the best choice would be to come up with one that does not include a lifetime reminder of such an ordeal as rape. In this case, even the law, would effectively suggest and further recommend abortion in order to save the mother a traumatizing life in which she will be constantly reminded of her most painful ordeal just by looking at the child. This has further unpleasant repercussions where the child will also suffer though his/ her life because the life he receives will not be optimum. This means that the parent may not be able to give the child the best life as she should because of the constant reminder of the rape ordeal. However, if the parent is allowed to continue with the abortion, having been a choice from her own options, she will be able to get over the rape ordeal from the other children she is going to have from then onwards and also from the lack of a constant reminder of the ordeal. It is important to note thus, that from a doctor’s point of view, the choice abortion is not as simple as it sounds. The doctor ensures that there is no other choice and/ or cause of action for the parent to take for their safety and thus abortion is the best route to take. The doctor is also, however, obligated to give the mother all available options and routes to the outcome of their predicament. Having done this, the doctor is thus covered.

On the same issue, there is a group of people that take the hard- line that abortion should not be allowed. They site the simple issue that statistically, the majority of women who have employed this service and procured an abortion are those young women, especially those below the age of twenty- five. Doctor Maisie places this at half the percentage, that is, fifty percent (Buzzle.com, 2012). This has been a major indication that this increased number of abortions is as a result of increased casual sexual relations among the same young ladies. The increased number of abortion has been directly related to the increased concern, especially by parents on the matters touching on an increased level of sexual activity about the young people. This in turn, kind of supports the irresponsible sexual behavior and activity among the young people and among the youth who are not ready per se for responsibility. Most people including those who are not practicing the medical craft are in support of this view.

Second on opposition to abortions, there are people who sight the fact that abortion is psychologically damaging to the woman who procures it. Whenever a woman procures an abortion Doctor Maisie sites the fact the act will, the form of depression and guilt, cause serious psychological impairment to her person. This has been earlier mentioned and put down in many forums and articles. Moreover, many doctors who have participated in the field also support this view with pieces of evidence from their own lives and practice. However, it is worth a mention that this can be easily corrected by the initiation and/ or institution of counseling and psychological advice whenever a woman faces the choice and options during the initial stages of the pregnancy and most importantly, during the initial stage of evaluating options available to the woman regarding her pregnancy.

There has also been an argument that has also been debated all over the world. This has been evidenced in the medical, political and even social fields with strong points from both ends. This has been forwarded by the “pro- life” players in the world who argue that abortion is murder. The argument sparked herewith is that which purports the belief that abortion is murder. This line of thought also mentions that life begins at conception and any termination and/ or attempt to terminate the pregnancy after conception is directly an attempt to commit murder.  Those in support of this school of thought have a more or less religious background or reference which however positive it might be is restrictive to an extent. It restricts the women to a place where they do not have a choice over their own bodies. Secondly, they do not have and have not considered the scientific effects and the reflection on the society. The theory also has not considered the possible causes of the will to want to commit an abortion. This too is not, or does not seem to be in the best interest of the parents of the child (Paul, 2012).

The counter- argument to this position has been forwarded by people who consider themselves pro- choice as compared to pro- life groups. They put forward an argument that suggests that women should have the freedom to make their own choices especially on the matters that directly affect them. Since the government had sought to put a law in place that specifically restricts the women and thus the doctors from procuring any abortions. The argument arose that mentioned another fact that whenever something is banned and outlawed by written law, it usually becomes more expensive and thus force the youth and other people who might feel that they need these service into other illegal means of achieving the same. This will in turn lead to huge losses of lives and the disadvantage of contracting other infections in the process (Paul, 2012).

The values quoted by the people who are opposed to this line of thought, and thus, advocate for the no abortion policy, also appear to be legitimate. For instance, they raise the fact that the doctors have been legally mandated to support life and not to end it willingly and moreover to try and end the life of an unborn child knowingly.  It is a fact that doctors, mandated by both their profession and the code of conduct, have to do their best to protect life. This, according to them, covers everyone including the innocent unborn child on the mother’s womb and as such, they should do what they can as far as the protection of this life is concerned. This is also a positive response though unfortunately, skewed as it does not take into consideration the life of the mother too as an important factor of the equation (Joe, 2012).

In response, it is worth noting that while those people who are against the procurement of abortion, while having valid reasons and concerns for their cause, they mostly have one sided reasons. Fro instance, there is the view that abortion will increase the level of irresponsible sexual behavior among the young people because they realize that they have a way out at the unfortunate incidence of an unwanted pregnancy. First, it is a well known fact that irresponsible sexual activity has been on the increase among the youth even in the countries and societies that do not allow and/ or endorse abortions. This cannot be put on the shoulders of having an abortion policy or law that supports the practice. Secondly, the doctor’s do not have the professional obligation to stop sexual relations between people whether they are underage or not. The obligation may be moral on an individual point of view but it cannot and should not be put on their shoulders on a professional perspective (Joe, 2012).

On those who site the psychological damage to a woman, there is always the comparative response which begs to find out if the conclusion has been reached with the pregnancy in question and its genesis in the equation. It does matter a lot as to why a mother would want to procure an abortion given the fact that there are so many people who wish to have children but cannot. This then begs a question as to which is bigger: the psychological trauma of procuring an abortion whose pregnancy was not intended, mostly from an unpleasant ordeal and or one that puts your own life in danger, or further, one whose result will directly expose the  child to a miserable life due to health conditions and/ or strained resources or on the flip side, the psychological torture of a lifetime that will have you as they mother of the child endure the pain of remembering the rape ordeal you were subjected to, or seeing the child in constant strife due to sickness or the aforementioned strain in the resource available (Joe, 2012).

In conclusion, from a nurses or a medical practitioner’s point of view, abortions are necessary though, on a controlled level. If misused, they could prove disastrous and even fatal to both the parent and child but at the same time, they could come out having saved lives and protected others. They thus cannot and should not be blind sided and most importantly not completely outlawed both as a medical procedure and/ or resort but education on the procedure should be effectively carried out so the usage and circumstances of exercise can and should be regulated. Thus, abortion is not a professionally or morally wrong practice. I believe this is the best way to approach this situation because at the end of the day, it is a personal choice whether or not to procure an abortion, and if and when the process is restricted and made to look like an illegal deal, there will be other medical practitioners who will endeavor to make ac quick dollar out the practice and in both the long run and shirt run too, people’s lives will be at stake too. To effectively stop this and carryout medically acceptable abortions and thus save lives is the major value underlying the professional, moral and ethical medical codes and thus,  the most proper course of action to take as far as this topic is concerned.

 

References

 Maisie M. Dr., (January 2, 2012). Pros and Cons of Abortion retrieved on May 7, 2013 from

www.buzzle.com/articles/pros-and-cons-of-abortion.html

Medline Plus. (January 28, 2013). Abortion retrieved on May 7, 2013 from

<www.nim.nih.gov/nedlineplus/abortion.html >,

Jason Ladock (n.d). Pros and Cons of Abortion retrieved on May 7, 2013 from

<www.healthguidance.org/entry/13561/1/Pros-and-Cons-of-Abortion.html>

Should Abortion be Legal? 2013 retrieved on May 7, 2013 from abortion.procon.org/

Cindy Sutter (November 13, 2011). Abortions Can be Positive: writes Linda Weber, co-founder

of Boulder Clinic retrieved on May 7, 2013 from <www.dailycamera.com/health-

fitness/ci_19315483>

Joe Messerli. (July 1, 2012). Should Abortion be banned (Except in Social Circumstances like

Saving the Mother’s Life)? Retrieved on May 7, 2013 from

www.balancedpolitcs.org/abortion.htm.

Paul Mongelli (April 9, 2012). The Positives of Abortion in the US and the World (School Paper

Version) retrieved on May 7, 2013 from <voices.yahoo.com/the-positives-abortion-us-

world-11232902.htm>