1. TITLE: WHAT ARE THE ISSUES IN BIOETHICS TODAY? LO: IDENTIFY ISSUES OF CONCERN IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY

2. THE RIGHT TO LIVE We came into existence without a choice on our part, and not one of us had any right to be given life. Having received this free gift of life, we are aware that we have certain rights to enable us to sustain that life in a healthy and meaningful manner. Issues such as Abortion not only conflict the rights of mother and the foetus within her, but call into question our definition of Respect for Human Life and force us to ask some important questions:

3. 1.Is Human life Sacred? 2. Should it be protected at all costs? 3. What does it mean to be Human? Questions to Ponder

4. THERE IS ALWAYS ALTERNATIVES

5. THE RIGHT TO HAVE A CHILD Techniques, which were developed to assist infertile couples to have a child, are now being used to assist women without a male partner to choose to become pregnant. In New Zealand, the Human Rights Act, 1993, made it illegal for fertility clinics to discriminate against sections of the population eg: single, lesbian, or women past childbearing age. Is it a human right to be a parent? How old, is too old, to be a parent? What is the role of a parent? “But she’s an old lady! I mean, look at her, she’s old!... She’s just, too OLD” - Happy Gilmore

6. WHAT IS THE NATURE AND MEANING OF HUMAN SEXUALITY? We live in a society that has in many ways turned sex and sexuality into a commodity. Sex has lost its sacredness. Why??

7. The traditional understanding of human sexuality is being challenged by two contemporary developments: 1.The separation of sexual expression from procreation through effective means of contraception; 2.The achievement of procreation apart from sexual expression through techniques such as, In Vitro fertilization (IVF) Clip: Morning before pill…

8. IN VITRO FERTILIZATION (IVF) In the extreme case it is possible for a child to have five parents: 1.The man who supplies the sperm 2. The women who supplies the egg 3. Surrogate mother 4/5. The two parents who raise the child Q: Would a situation like this have any implications for the child?

9. DESIGNER BABIES The desire to have the ‘perfect’ baby has come closer to realisation through the techniques presently available in reproductive technology. Artificial insemination using donor sperm allows some selection of characteristics. Within the IVF programme more healthy looking embryos are chosen for implantation.

10. KEEPING ALIVE OR PERMITTING TO DIE What lengths should medical professionals go to prolong the life of a person in an irreversible coma or permanent vegetative state? Who should decide this? Should medical personnel agree to requests from seriously ill or severely disabled persons to assist them to die?