Contraception Ethics 08

Definition of contraception

Contraception means avoiding or dicreasing the probability of pregnancy, using some medications, devices, or any other method that is temporary and/or reversible (WHO's definition). It concerns both males and females. The condom, the contraceptive diaphragm, the emergency pill and even abstinence are examples of contraceptive methods. Any form of sterilization such as castration or tubal ligation does not belong to contraceptive methods as it is permanent and irreversible. The contraception ethics is a big debate that started about 30 years ago, and has never concluded yet: still today, people discuss whether contraception is morally "good" or "bad", from various points of view.

Abortion will not be included. Please note that preventive and emergency contraception will be distinguished in some cases on this page: while preventive contraception just prevents any fertilization to happen, emergency contraception is performed by destroying a fertilized ovum (a zygote) which is believed to contain life by some people.

you are not allowed to insert any picture in the wiki page for copyrights reasons... please, insert the picture in an Annex document you will generate... Okay?--Pierre.brawand 2 février 2009 à 20:50 (MET)

What is contraception on an ethical and a scientific point of view?

Scientific point of view:

• It is a voluntary prevention of pregnancy that can be used by both men and women.
• Through many methods, it gives us the possibility to choose between creating a family or not.
• Certains methods give the population a possibility to prevent ourselves from sexual diseases.
• It is an easy way to control population but is against procreative liberty. (ex: China, one child policy)

Ethical point of view:

• Contraception gave the women more rights over their body.
• Contraception gave women the power not to have an unwanted child wich is linked to the fact that women have more rights.
• However, it might be considered as an inhibition of life. Do we kill somebody before he has a chance to live? It leads us into the question of when does Life begin.
• It's a dilemna between reproductive rights : first for a woman to have the right to control her body and secondly the right for everyone to live (as seen in the articles of human rights).

Websites : http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/contraception/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reproductive_rights -

When does Life begin?

This is the big question of our chapter. How to define life? How does it begin ? At which step? Is it the shape of an embryo that allows us to call it a human being? Is it its capacity of thinking ? Or does Life begin at fertilization, the meeting of two living cells?

This question really begun in the 90's with the discover of the in vitro fertilization, the scientists asked themselves if the embryo was already a human beeing or not. Scientists realized that there are many different point of views. Here are ar few:

• On the metabolic view, there is no real beginnig because the sperm cell and the egg are already alive. They are units of Life.
• On genetic view, Life begins at fertilization. At this moment a unique organism is created by the combination of the genes of the father and the mother. It has it own properties.
• On neurological view: In our Society, death is defined by the loss of the EEG (electroencephalogram) pattern this induces the idea that life begins at the acquisition of the EEG (around the 27th week).
• The physiological view sees Life beginning at the moment when the baby has become independent of its mother. It has its own respiratory, circulatory and alimentary system. This is when the umbilical cord is cut, so at bithday.

There are many other scientific views , but in the end we have to say that the beginnng of Life cannot be defined by science only. If we consider all these different views, we might ask ourselves if the question isn't about the beginning of Life, but more about the value of human life.

For the Catholic Chuch it is a question of soul. They changed their mind many times in history. First thay said that an immediate ensoulment is impossible and fixed the animation of the male fetus at 40 and for the women's fetus at 80 days after conception. For a long time, the penalty for contraception or abortion was excomunication. NOwadeays, the Church considers the act of conception as the beginning of Life.

This tough question induces a wide field of answers.

But now, let us focus just on contraception by itself.

Certain methods of contraception (link: condom, blabla) block the way for egg cells to be fertilized. Here we are talking about haploid gametes that by themselves cannot induce the life cycle, which begins after their fusion. But these methods of contraception are a choice of cells: every cell that will be blocked by contraception looses its chance to create life. It is an intervention on the hasard/random of life. These are the Church's arguments against contraception. But even in the Church Contraception is a controverse topic.

Other methods (link: day after pill) block the embryo so it cannot implant in the uterus. Here we are talking about removing a fertilized egg, which induces stronger moral issues.

mention the fact that contraception is specific for some particular cell type but it does NOT choose a particular embryo to destroy it: it is specific in a way... but not specific in the other. Some other contraceptive methods inhibit the embryo by itself. THis implicates the fact tha their action is made AFTER fertilization. For some people, Life with a big L begins AT fertilization

Legislative Point of view of Contraception

In a majority of countries, like in Europe or in North America, Contraception is allowed because they consider in the law that babies become a human beeing twelve weeks after fertilization. But for Islamic Countries a baby is a human beeing only six weeks after fertilization.

In the other hand, some countries like China limited at one the number of children per family because it can't assure a good condition of life if they are too numerous

Image Analysis

In scientific middle, contraception is also a subject of problems, because physicians and other biologists do not agree about the real question of this debate which is "when does life really begin".

Philosophical-Ethical Movements : Ideas of Contraception

Pro - Feminists

Generally feminist movement is favourable at the idea of contraception, they consider it as a choice that women have the right to have, because for them choice's liberty is essential. In fact they think that the mother has the right to-talk about sexual abuse, eventual baby's problem- right to aborption ????

Against - Religion

Emergency contraception induces the destruction of a zygote, an ovum that has been fertilized by a sperm cell, and it is believed that fertilization is the "instigator" of life (see "When does life begin"). Thus, using an emergency contraception method means that a life has been killed. Most religious groups considerate Life as a gift from God and the most precious property, and therefore strictly condemn the use of emergency contraception.

Additionally, some other religions such as Christianism are opposed to all preventive contraception methods, excepted abstinence, although in that case no live body is destroyed, unlike emergency contraception. The goal of contraception obviously is to have a sexual relationship without fearing an unwanted pregnancy. This is much blamed by Christianism (for example) as from that point of view, the natural role of procreation is replaced by the pleasure of sex - it is for that reason that only "abstinence" as contraceptive method would be tolerated.

Interestingly, since nowhere in the Bible explicitely defines at what point a child should be considered alive in its early development (from conception to birth), the opinions about it (and thus, about the morale of contraception too) come from philosophical interpretations of the biblical texts and vary a lot. While most believe that Life occurs at the moment of conception, and then reject contraception, some think that it occurs when blood is first developped (about 20 days after conception) and some others at childbirth. In these last two cases, contraception would be mostly accepted.

References

• Movie on stem cell: [1]

Bibliography

• http://www.pagetronic.com/jeux/culture/la-chine-populaire.xhtml
• http://8e.devbio.com/article.php?id=162 This webpage explains much about the religious pov concerning sexual abuse and other povs that changed through history.
• http://www.prolifephysicians.org/lifebegins.htm
• http://www.nrlc.org/abortion/wdlb/wdlb.html
• http://8e.devbio.com/article.php?ch=21&id=7
• http://www.religioustolerance.org/abo_when.htm

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