1. SOC 573: Abortion James G. Anderson Purdue University

2. The Public Debate

4. 1976 Congress passes the Hyde Amendment prohibiting the use of Medicaid funds for abortions 1977 U.S. Supreme Court held that states have no legal obligation to fund abortions for the indigent 1980 U.S. Supreme Court in Harris vs McRae upheld the Hyde Amendment 1980s States pass parental consent laws for teenage abortions

5. The Public Debate

7. When are abortions performed?

8. Who have abortions?

10. Points that apply to all Issues in Biomedical Ethics Issues are intractable Conflicts between fundamental moral values One value can be protected or promoted only at the expense of another. (e.g., Right to Life vs Right to Choose) Analysis/Discourse must involve respect for divergent positions

11. Points that apply to all Issues in Biomedical Ethics Law and ethics are not the same Limits of political solutions to social problems At issue, who should have a say in an abortion decision?