Since the judgment in Roe v. Wade, abortion has been a highly debated and politicized topic. In most states, the current policy and political environment are that per the judgment in Roe v. Wade, women have the right to make their own reproductive health decisions (Linton & Quinlan, 2019). However, the states fall short of aiding or enabling them to act on the findings. The primary reason might be because there are conflicting thoughts and opinions. I believe that the woman has the right to make decisions about matters that could significantly affect their lives. However, putting the beliefs into practice is difficult.
For instance, I like social workers because their responsibility is to protect and represent the disadvantaged and unrepresented populations. Most of my ethical views follow the ethical codes of conduct set by several regulating bodies, like the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). There are times when moral codes of conduct conflict with personal beliefs, however. A good example is when NASW stated that the social workers had to put their responsibilities before their personal interest due to the abortion laws. The result was that it impacted interactions with clients by preventing discretion and autonomous decision making. Ethics are a guideline to aid in decision-making. When the ethical codes of conduct stand in the way of their purpose, it becomes clear that something needs to be changed. However, the change should be considered carefully because of their ethical considerations, such as with about the abortion laws in the country, have far-reaching implications.
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Taking the abortion laws as an example, the biggest unanswered question that resulted was the ethical, moral, and legal definition of life. In other words, proponents of abortion would claim that life started after birth. On the other hand, opponents would argue that life starts at conception and intentionally ending it is murder. Who is correct? This boils down to whether fetuses are recognized as human beings and afforded the rights, especially the right to life. This is one of the contemporary ethical dilemmas where neither position leads to no answers but further dilemmas.
If we take the proponents' position in support of abortion with the argument that life starts after birth, then the ethical nature of partial-birth abortions (PBA) comes under question. In PBA, the doctor delivers a substantial portion of the child before killing them (Boonstra, 2016). Given that the child has already been delivered (though partially and intentionally so), how different is the procedure from infanticide? Ethical considerations of this position are numerous.
On the other hand, if we take the proponents' position and claim that life starts at conception, implying the growing fetuses have human rights that protect them, then the ethical considerations of wrongful birth, life, and conception apply. When parents decide to give birth to a child, despite being aware of its prenatal defects and abnormalities, it is unknown whether their decision was ethical (Frati et al., 2017; Parker et al., 2020). For instance, even if they decide to give birth, wrongful life claims can be brought against them on the moral grounds that the child is given a not-worth-living existence.
Therefore, regardless of my personal views on abortion laws, the applicable laws (federal and state), and the ethical codes of conduct I have to observe as a social worker, I am bound to encounter ethical dilemmas. These considerations affect not only my practice but how I react to and interact with clients. It becomes essential to share these ethical considerations to prevent any problems occurring due to miscommunication and unresolved conflicts of interest.
References
Boonstra, H. D. (2016). Fetal tissue research: A weapon and a casualty in the war against abortion. Guttmacher Policy Review , 19 (1), 9-15.
Frati, P., Fineschi, V., Di Sanzo, M., La Russa, R., Scopetti, M., Severi, F. M., & Turillazzi, E. (2017). Preimplantation and prenatal diagnosis, wrongful birth and wrongful life: a global view of bioethical and legal controversies. Human Reproduction Update , 23 (3), 338-357.
Linton, P. B., & Quinlan, M. K. (2019). Does Stare Decisis Preclude Reconsideration of Roe v. Wade: A Critique of Planned Parenthood v. Casey. Case W. Res. L. Rev. , 70 , 283.
Parker, B. R., Armstrong, S. C., & Poirot, T. E. (2020). What's Unconstitutional About Wrongful Life Claims? Ask Jane Roe... Defense Counsel Journal , 87 (3), 1-25.
