Medical Ethics: Balancing Rights of Woman and Fetus in Healthcare

This essay delves into the complex realm of medical ethics, specifically addressing the ethical considerations surrounding patient rights, reproductive rights, and the rights of the unborn child. The author examines the conflict that arises when a woman's right to make decisions about her body clashes with the potential rights of a fetus, considering various viewpoints and legal frameworks. The essay highlights the importance of balancing these rights, as well as the impact of diverse values and cultural beliefs on healthcare practices. It emphasizes the need for healthcare professionals to respect patient autonomy, maintain dignity, and navigate potential ethical and legal implications that may arise from conflicting value systems, ultimately advocating for a nuanced approach to ethical decision-making in healthcare settings. The author reflects on the impact of diverse values on the ethical principle of rights and discusses how it cannot be applied in the same manner for all people.

Running head: ETHICS- MEDICAL
ETHICS- MEDICAL
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

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Based on my peer’s and my viewpoints, If a woman is restricted to decide for unborn
child, there are several human rights at stake such as right to life, right to make decision, right to
health and health care, right to privacy and make reproductive choices, right to liberty or birth
control, and right to enjoy the benefits of the scientific progress. These rights are also recognised
in the national laws, and international human rights documents. It is also included in the United
Nations consensus documents. The World Health Organisation and the United Nations
Population Fund (UNFPA) emphasise the women's rights while advocating for reproductive
rights (Bustreo et al., 2013). Reproductive rights are the most contested rights issues across the
world irrespective of the culture and socioeconomic status. According to Wicks (2012) women
may have the right to be relieved of carrying the fetus. However, she may not have the right to
death of a fetus. The growing fetus has potentiality and thus is subjected to the moral obligations.
It is given the legal and moral protection. Both the concepts have significant moral differences
which create the debate. If it comes to the right of fetus and mother, the rights of the later are
subordinated to those of mother. Another cause of the alternative viewpoint is the equal rights of
healthy fetus and fetus with disease and deformity (Giubilini & Minerva, 2013). Therefore,
reflecting on this case taking into consideration both the tights of woman and child in the uterus
creates conflicts.
Reflecting beyond this case it can be said that the ethical issues and conflicts also arise
due to diversity in values. I have learned that the ethical principle of rights cannot be applied in
the same manner for all people due to diverse values of the patients, clients and community
people. In medical profession a practitioner has own set of cultural values in delivering care. In
a healthcare setting, multicultural patients are presented. They have a diverse set of health beliefs
and values. It prevents the practitioners to apply their personal values which in turn affect the

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capability to work with people in distress and language barriers. For instance the nurses have
obliged to the respect the patient right and maintain their dignity when administering the
medication or taking consent. On the contrary, in some cultures such as Muslim patients deny
taking animal protein. The negative impacts of the presence of diverse values on a patient
include moral distress, loss of identity and dignity. Communication barrier, loss of autonomy,
poor life-supporting decisions (euthanasia) and eventually poor physician-patient relationships
results from diverse values (Giger, 2016). It may include ethical and legal implications such as
lawsuits in palliative care due to conflicting value systems.

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References
Bustreo, F., Hunt, P., & World Health Organization. (2013). Women’s and children’s health:
evidence of impact of human rights. World Health Organization.
Giger, J. N. (2016). Transcultural Nursing-E-Book: Assessment and Intervention. Elsevier
Health Sciences.
Giubilini, A., & Minerva, F. (2013). After-birth abortion: why should the baby live?. Journal of
medical ethics, 39(5), 261-263.
Wicks, E. (2012). The Meaning of ‘Life’: Dignity and the Right to Life in International Human
Rights Treaties. Human Rights Law Review, 12(2), 199-219.