Roe V Wade Dilemma

442 Words2 Pages
The Dilemma An ethical dilemma is a situation in which no solution is entirely satisfactory to either party (Foundations of nursing care, 2004). The historical 1973 Supreme Court ruling in Roe v. Wade ruled in favor of the plaintiff, considering abortion an essential right granted to women under the Constitution of the United States (McBride, 2006). Jane Roe was a woman that was pregnant who wanted to obtain an abortion. She was prosecuted on behalf of women in a similar situation that wanted to avoid the implementation of Texas laws banning all abortions except those deemed necessary to save the life of the mother. The court decided in her favor that a woman’s right to abortion fell within the right to privacy, and was protected by the fourteenth amendment (McBride, 2006). This verdict gave women total autonomy and control of the pregnancy during the first trimester and distinct diverse levels of concern for the second and third trimesters, which was considered acceptable only if there is a health risk to the mother. The ethical dilemma is a moral question of when does a human life begin and should be assigned independent human rights. It is the dilemma of the fetal right to life against a woman's right to privacy (Cook, 2004). Many individuals believe the woman’s legal right to privacy clashes with the fetus right to life. This provokes the dispute between persons who believe life starts at conception and persons who believe life starts when the fetus is viable and able to live outside of its mother’s womb (Cook, 2004). There are many ethical questions surrounding this issue such as: 1.) Is the fetus considered a human being with rights, 2.) does the woman have ethical responsibilities to the fetus, 3.) is it ethically correct to force a woman to carry a pregnancy to term against her wishes and 4.) Does the woman have ethical responsibilities to allow the father

More about Roe V Wade Dilemma

Open Document