Ethical Issues Encountered in Women's Health Care

One might think that a discussion regarding women's health care would be rather straightforward. This is simply not the case. Many different ethical issues arise in the discussion and administration of women's health care. Many of these issues surround conception and birth control.

Birth Control

Women have many different options when it comes to birth control. These options range from the birth control pill, to implanted devices called IUDs, to permanent forms of birth control, such as tubal ligation. Many people have their own ethical and moral opinions when it comes to what forms of birth control they are willing to use. The major ethical issues arise from birth control methods which allow an egg to be fertilized, but prevent it from implanting in a woman's uterus. The issue here arises from those who believe that life begins at conception and that the fertilized egg has human rights. Thus, these forms of birth control are often seen as methods of abortion.

Abortion

In 1973, with the ruling of Roe vs. Wade abortion was legalized in the United States. Despite the fact that abortion has been legal for nearly 40 years, there are still many ethical issues surrounding a woman's rights to terminate her pregnancy. Abortion supports believe that a woman has the absolute right to decide whether or not she wants to bear a child, while opponents believe that the fertilized egg or embryo has a right to life. Opponents often view abortion as murder, and those doctors who offer abortions are often faced with strong opposition.

Domestic Abuse

Each year, millions of women are seen in hospitals for the treatment of injuries related to domestic violence and abuse. Though a physician may suspect that his patient sustained her injuries due to an abusive situation at home, many physicians simply treat the injury and do not ask for further information. Some believe that doctors have an ethical obligation to report suspected cases of domestic abuse, while others believe that a doctor's responsibility is to treat the injuries and nothing more.