<p>The modern world is facing a revolutionary development in the clinical medicine and biomedical sciences. Due to the different life supporting systems, it is easily possible to keep patients with severe diseases alive. With organ transplantation a lot of people, who would otherwise die can live long and happy lives. In vitro fertilization allows a woman to bear the child that is not genetically related to her. Due to the possibility of contraception, safe abortions and prenatal diagnosis, women and couples can make preferable choices concerning their future child. Such medical developments and improvements have a great impact on our life, and provoke a lot of ethical questions and moral dilemmas.</p><p>The aim of this thesis is to answer the question whether prenatal diagnosis can be justified as it mainly leads to the selective abortion, whether and when the fetus counts as a person and whether the prospective parents can perform selective abortion on the basis of fetal disability; and to discuss ethical problems that are experienced by the doctor, who brings the news into the family and what is his/her role in the decision-making process.</p>

The modern world is facing a revolutionary development in the clinical medicine and biomedical sciences. Due to the different life supporting systems, it is easily possible to keep patients with severe diseases alive. With organ transplantation a lot of people, who would otherwise die can live long and happy lives. In vitro fertilization allows a woman to bear the child that is not genetically related to her. Due to the possibility of contraception, safe abortions and prenatal diagnosis, women and couples can make preferable choices concerning their future child. Such medical developments and improvements have a great impact on our life, and provoke a lot of ethical questions and moral dilemmas. The aim of this thesis is to answer the question whether prenatal diagnosis can be justified as it mainly leads to the selective abortion, whether and when the fetus counts as a person and whether the prospective parents can perform selective abortion on the basis of fetal disability; and to discuss ethical problems that are experienced by the doctor, who brings the news into the family and what is his/her role in the decision-making process.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-14T13:16:15Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 1305115 bytes, checksum: dc3e0c093e57cd04a5c87a3e887b75b8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-03-26 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / Abortion is considered an ethical problem of public health, and this stands just when there are conflicts between moral rights and obligations. So, actors are perceived in different scenes claiming a decision-making power about the life. They are doctors, lawyers, government officials and others. The reasons to investigate the abortion from these professionals are justified by the fact that these are representatives of biopower from an institutional place, whether in the health care of women in situations of abortion or in formulating the complaint and in the judgment and interpretation of the rights. Objectives: to analyze the beliefs of health-care professionals and jurists about the abortion and selective abortion. Method: the sample was composed of 16 health professionals (doctors, nurses and psychologists), as well as by 10 professionals of law (prosecutors and judges). Initially, a type structured interview was conducted with the participants in order to investigating their beliefs about selective abortion and the abortion. Then, they replied to a questionnaire. Quantitative data were analyzed through descriptive statistics (frequency, average, standard deviation). The interviews were operationalized based in categories, processed in a series of steps. Results: the data of questionnaire pointed out a rigid position of the participants regarding the change in criminal legislation on abortion, which are greatly influenced by their religious beliefs. There was a lack of information from professionals about the documentation required for the authorization of the practice of legal abortion and fetal malformation. For interviews, emerged two thematic classes: abortion and selective abortion. The first covered the categories: attitude, legal aspects, bio psychosocial aspects and coping proposals. The second covered the categories attitude and legal aspects. The beliefs contrary to abortion practice focused on heteronomy and sacredness of life. Favorable beliefs, in turn, emerged only among health professionals, anchored in the perspective of reproductive and sexual rights, reducing risks and damage and, finally, on women's autonomy over their own body. Jurists had a stiffer punishment on the positioning of women who practice abortion. The participants suggested the public politics and education, as sexual education, adoption programs, psychological and social assistance and, for the ones who showed favorable beliefs, its decriminalization in order to reduce risk and damage of unsafe abortion for the confrontation of abortion. In General, some beliefs have referred strictly to the group of jurists, because of the peculiarities of this profession. Others, however, seemed not to relate to the professional group itself, but other aspects which may demarcate groups, following the example of beliefs linked to heteronomy of life and, in contrast, reproductive autonomy. Conclusion: the Brazilian society needs to broaden the discussion of abortion. It s necessary to exit of the extremes "against" and "favour" abortion and see that this topic is of a complexity that cannot be summarized by these words, or terminate the legal or ethical point of view, unlike, cover a wide range of considerations, which might be observed throughout this study. / O aborto é considerado um problema ético de saúde pública, e este se sobressai justamente quando existem conflitos entre os direitos e os deveres morais. Nesse sentido, são percebidos vários atores, em cenas diferentes, que reivindicam um poder de decisão sobre a vida, sejam médicos, juristas, governantes e outros providos de poderes Os motivos de se investigar o aborto a partir desses profissionais justificam-se pelo fato destes serem representantes do bio-poder, de um poder de decisão sobre a vida a partir de um lugar institucional, seja na assistência à saúde das mulheres em situações de aborto, seja na formulação da denúncia, no julgamento e interpretação dos direitos. Objetivos: Analisar as crenças dos profissionais de saúde e dos profissionais de direito sobre o aborto provocado e o aborto seletivo. Método: A amostra foi composta por 16 profissionais de saúde (médicos ginecologistas/obstetras, enfermeiros e psicólogos), bem como por 10 profissionais de direito (promotores de justiça e juízes de direito). Inicialmente, foi realizada uma entrevista do tipo semi-estruturada com os participantes da pesquisa com a finalidade de investigar suas crenças sobre o aborto seletivo e o aborto provocado. Em seguida, estes responderam a um questionário auto-aplicável. Os dados quantitativos foram analisados através de estatística descritiva (frequência, média, desvio padrão). As entrevistas foram operacionalizadas com base em categorias determinadas a partir dos sentidos suscitados, processados em uma série de etapas. Resultados: Os dados do questionário apontaram uma posição rígida dos participantes quanto à mudança na legislação penal sobre o aborto, os quais são influenciados sobremaneira por suas crenças religiosas. Observou-se um desconhecimento dos profissionais sobre a documentação necessária para a autorização da prática do aborto legal e em caso de malformação fetal grave. Em relação às entrevistas, emergiram duas classes temáticas: Aborto provocado e aborto seletivo. A primeira abarcou as categorias: atitude, aspectos jurídicos, aspectos biopsicossociais e propostas de enfrentamento. A segunda abrangeu as categorias atitude e aspectos jurídicos. As crenças contrárias à prática do aborto centraram-se na heteronomia e sacralidade da vida. As crenças favoráveis, por sua vez, emergiram apenas dentre os profissionais de saúde, ancorados na perspectiva dos direitos reprodutivos e sexuais, na redução de riscos e danos e, por fim, na autonomia da mulher sobre seu próprio corpo. Os profissionais de direito apresentaram um posicionamento mais rígido quanto à punição das mulheres que praticam aborto. No tocante às propostas de enfrentamento a essa prática, os profissionais afirmaram a necessidade de políticas públicas e de educação, contemplando a educação sexual, os programas de adoção, a assistência social e psicológica e, para os que apresentaram crenças favoráveis, a sua descriminalização a fim de reduzir riscos e danos do aborto inseguro. No geral, algumas crenças referiram-se estritamente ao grupo de profissionais de direito, devido às especificidades desta profissão. Outras, no entanto, pareceram não se relacionar ao grupo profissional em si, mas a outros aspectos que também podem demarcar grupos, a exemplo de crenças vinculadas à concepção de heteronomia da vida e, contrariamente, de autonomia reprodutiva. Considerações finais: A sociedade brasileira precisa ampliar a discussão sobre o aborto. É necessário sair dos extremos contra e a favor do aborto e enxergar que essa temática é de uma complexidade que não pode ser resumida por essas palavras, nem se encerram no ponto de vista jurídico ou deontológico, ao contrário, abrangem um leque variado de considerações, as quais puderam ser observadas ao longo deste trabalho.

<p>In this thesis the scope and limits of reprogenetic choices - refering to reproductive applications of genetics made in the medical context - is adressed.</p><p>Through posing four analytical questions concerning who should cecide about what in reprogenetics an analysis of possible answers is made. The method consists of an analysis of texts of ethicists Robertson, Strong, Davis, Murray, Peters and Buchanan et al, chosen to reflect a diversity concerning the scope of reproductive autonomy and what values that need to be taken into consideration.</p><p>The most justified position found, concerning a possible policy of reprogenetic choices, is that there are several good reasons for leaving the reprogenetic choices with the parents, foremost since reproduction indeed is central to individuals identity, dignity and meaning of life. There are also good reasons to avoid governmental steering. This for instance since steering risks promoting perfectibilism, which would threaten human dignity. But also the reprogenetic choices cannot be left unrestricted. It is then argued that restrictions of parental reproductive autonomy should serve to protect the childs right to an open future, and that choices that reflect a search for perfectibilism should be cautioned. Autonomous reprogenetic choices should mean qualified choices - where relevant information is given and also an opportunity to make more than one choice is fostered.</p>

In this thesis the scope and limits of reprogenetic choices - refering to reproductive applications of genetics made in the medical context - is adressed. Through posing four analytical questions concerning who should cecide about what in reprogenetics an analysis of possible answers is made. The method consists of an analysis of texts of ethicists Robertson, Strong, Davis, Murray, Peters and Buchanan et al, chosen to reflect a diversity concerning the scope of reproductive autonomy and what values that need to be taken into consideration. The most justified position found, concerning a possible policy of reprogenetic choices, is that there are several good reasons for leaving the reprogenetic choices with the parents, foremost since reproduction indeed is central to individuals identity, dignity and meaning of life. There are also good reasons to avoid governmental steering. This for instance since steering risks promoting perfectibilism, which would threaten human dignity. But also the reprogenetic choices cannot be left unrestricted. It is then argued that restrictions of parental reproductive autonomy should serve to protect the childs right to an open future, and that choices that reflect a search for perfectibilism should be cautioned. Autonomous reprogenetic choices should mean qualified choices - where relevant information is given and also an opportunity to make more than one choice is fostered.

Population control programs such as family planning and the introduction of sex identification technologies has helped to create skewed sex ratios in northern India and particularly in the state of Haryana. Due to a surplus of men and the numbers of missing females, an organized business of bride trafficking has emerged where poor women from eastern and northeastern states of India are bought and brought to Haryana for the purpose of marriage. This thesis explores how skewed sex ratios have contributed to the phenomenon of bride trafficking in Haryana guided by the theoretical framework of violences of development which argues that there is a hidden paradox within development. This was done by conducting a conventional content analysis in order to create a deeper understanding of the phenomenon. There is scarce research on bride trafficking, therefore this study contributes with extended knowledge in order to shed a light on the increasing trade with females.

Thesis (MA (Philosophy))--University of Stellenbosch, 2008. / The practice of abortion continues to provoke controversy and disagreement. However, within the context of this wider debate, a greater level of consensus appears to have been reached as to the moral acceptability of the practice of prenatal screening, and selective abortion following the detection of foetal abnormality. This study seeks to interrogate whether justifications of this practice lend credence to the moral permissibility of selective abortion. In particular, it considers whether justifications for this practice amount to, or perpetuate, discrimination on the basis of the characteristic of disability, as selective abortion entails choosing against a particular foetus because of its characteristics. This study poses this question in two contexts – where the moral permissibility of selective abortion is regarded as an exception to the general moral impermissibility of abortion, and where selective abortion is regarded as one distinct justification within the context of the general moral permissibility of abortion. This study attempts to show that while justifications of selective abortion are directly discriminatory in the former case, they are not necessarily discriminatory in the latter case. This latter conclusion, however, recommends maintaining vigilance against the possibility that such justifications could rely upon or perpetuate prejudice, or restrict reproductive autonomy. These conclusions are considered within the South African context; in particular, with regard to their application to the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1996.

Plusieurs chercheurs ont constaté un déséquilibre démographique important (ratio homme/femme) en Inde du Nord-Ouest qui serait l’une des conséquences directe de la sélection sexuelle prénatale engendrée par forte préférence pour la naissance des garçons. Dans les villes de Jaipur (Rajasthan) et Gurgaon (Haryana), auprès de femmes mariées issues de milieux socio-économiques aisés, j’ai tenté de comprendre comment les femmes vivent au quotidien la préférence pour les garçons et d’explorer pourquoi elles reproduisent ces préférences et discriminations envers garçons et filles dans leurs pratiques reproductives. Le recours à la sélection sexuelle semble résoudre de nombreuses tensions produites par les interactions entre les changements économiques, l’intensification de la planification familiale, l’accessibilité aux technologies de la santé reproductive et les attentes filiales de la famille. Bien que les femmes subissent de la pression familiale pour concevoir un fils, elles peuvent désirer pour elles-mêmes la naissance de fils, une préférence influencée par la construction identitaire de genre qui associe l’achèvement de la féminité à travers les rôles d’épouse et la maternité de fils. Les pressions pour la naissance d’un garçon émaneraient tout autant des structures sociales que de l’environnement familial immédiat. / Demographers have recorded a very important unbalanced sex-ratio (men/women) in North-Western India that would be the direct consequence of prenatal sex-selection caused by a strong son preference. In Jaipur (Rajasthan) and Gurgaon (Haryana), I interviewed married women from well-off backgrounds and in attempt to understand the presence of son preference and daughter discrimination in their everyday lives. The use of sex-selection seems to resolve several tensions produced by the interactions between economic changes, family-planning intensification, availability of reproductive technologies and kinship expectations from the family. Although women experience family pressure to conceive a son, they can also desire a son for themselves; gender identity construction influences the idea that women can achieve femininity and be accomplished through their roles as spouse and mother of a son. Pressure to give birth to a son comes from the structures as well as the immediate family environment.