Week 8 Discussion Question 1 - Original Case Study
Discussion Question:
This week, you will be responsible for developing an original case study presenting a moral dilemma in public health that your peers will analyze. When responding to your peers, you will provide a detailed moral analysis of their original case study.
Case Study: Moral issues related to abortion choices
The following is a case study of a 15 year old Carmen who lives in a rural town in Illinois with her parents and 3 younger siblings. She is an honor roll student with high goals. She wants to go to college with dreams of becoming a physician’s assistant. She has seen her immigrant parents go through many struggles which has inspired her dreams. She wants to be financially support her parents and siblings when she gets older.
Carmen woke up one morning feeling very nauseated. She was aware she missed her period the past two months. She just did not want to face the fear; the fear of being pregnant. She took the courage and took a home pregnancy test which was positive. Carmen remembered the night after her debate tournament when she was raped by a 30 year old male. She did not report this incident like many other vulnerable women.
She found out she is almost 7 weeks pregnant after visiting her doctor. What options does Carmen have? Should she get an abortion? Or should she go along with her pregnancy? Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy. “Unintended pregnancy is a major contributor to abortion” (Pazol, Creanga, Burley, Hayer, & Jamieson, 2013). Depending how far a women in can determine how to terminate the pregnancy (American Pregnancy Association, 2014). In the first trimester, medical or surgical abortion procedures are available. Medication abortion procedures are not available in the second trimester; only surgical abortion procedures are available. Third trimester abortions are usually not legal, so the availability of procedures is based on state laws. In the state of Illinois, the “law requires Planned Parenthood of Illinois to notify parents of adult family member if a woman age 17 or younger seeks an abortion, unless a judge gives a waiver” (Planned Parenthood of Illinois, 2015). The family member does not necessarily need to give permission, but they still must be notified.
If Carmen decides to get an abortion, what moral dilemmas will she face? She is of catholic religion were abortion is a sin. But, this pregnancy was not her fault. She was raped; hence does her religion give her a right to abort the baby? Or should she just go along with her life as this was Gods will? What will her parents and the community think? Will they look down upon her as if it was her fault? What will happen to her future plans? Is she financially ready to support this baby? Are her rights in jeopardy based on someone else’s sinful action? Is it her right to “kill” her unborn baby? Should there be public health laws supporting abortion in this situation? Carmen has to think about all these questions.
What is the first thought that comes to mind when we hear that someone got an abortion? Many of us automatically build a negative image of that person. This is because our morals are built to make us think that way. When is it morally to have an abortion? Or are all abortions immoral regardless of the situation? Shouldn’t public health play a role in supporting some abortion decisions?