Bioethics

What is “ethics”? Ethics: “the rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particular class of human actions or a particular group, culture”

What is “Bioethics”? Bioethics: are moral and ethical choices faced in medical research and in the treatment of patients, such as organ transplants, genetic engineering, and care of the terminally ill.

A classic bioethical decision One heart available  who should get it? 17-year old girl 40-year-old school principal 70-year-old woman

A classic bioethical decision One heart available  who should get it? 17-year old girl 40-year-old school principal 70-year-old woman

Bioethical Topics Bioethical topics include cryonics, which is when a person is frozen in hopes of being revived and cured from an illness or to simply be brought back to life

“Plastic” surgery or cosmetic surgery Surgery that is not medically necessary is also a bioethical topic This is done in the form of rhinoplasty (nose jobs), breast enhancement, and liposuction to name a few

Stem cell research Stem cells are naturally occurring in the human body They repair and revive other cells to replace dead tissue, and can divide to take the place of cells that have specific functions

What can stem cells be used for? Stem cells can be used to repair a multitude of problems and have been used by scientists to help with the effects of Alzheimer’s Heart disease Spinal cord injuries

Other stem cell progress Scientists believe that stem cells can be used to effectively treat Birth defects And may even be used to defeat cancer

Controversy with stem cell research Stem cell research can be done with adult stem cells, however embryonic stem cells have proven to be more effective Some claim that destruction of the embryo is the only way to obtain these stem cells, but there are others who dispute this claim

Religious arguments about stem cell research Religious beliefs have also come into play with the debate over stem cell research Some believe it is playing God

Basic Bioethics Principles RESPECT for people’s rights Autonomy Dignity BENEFICENCE: Benefits must be proportionate to risks Potential harm = potential good

Basic Bioethics Principles JUSTICE: The even distribution of benefits and risks throughout society NONMALEFICENCE: Do no harm Experiment must stop if causes harm.

Controversies: Should you be allowed to genetically modify your children before they are born to prevent disease? What about to change eye color, make them taller, stronger, smarter, better behaved? Opinion:

Controversies: Should college students be forced to get the meningitis vaccine? Opinion

Controversies: Should food and chemical corporations genetically modify food to yield more product, make food more nutritious, or make food taste better? Would you eat this food? Opinion

Controversies: Should people be allowed to sell their extra kidney or a portion of their liver to a person in need of a transplant? This is currently illegal Opinion

19 Ethical Issues in Modern Healthcare In modern healthcare and research, value conflicts arise where often there appears to be no clear consensus as to the “Right thing to do.” These conflicts present problems requiring moral decisions, and necessitates a choice between two or more alternatives. Examples: Should a parent have a right to refuse immunizations for his or her child? Does public safety supersede an individual’s right?

20 Ethical Questions, Cont. Should children with serious birth defects be kept alive? Should a woman be allowed an abortion for any reason? Should terrorists be tortured to gain information possibly saving hundreds of lives? Should health care workers be required to receive small pox vaccination? Who should get the finite number of organs for transplantation?