RESTRICTIONTOABORTION Whenaneggcellisfertilizedbythespermcell,itresultsinwhatisknownasazygote.Azygotein itsearlydevelopmentstagesiscalledanembryo.Abortionistheremovaloftheembryofromthe wombbeforeitisfullydeveloped,normallypractisedonhumanpregnancy.Therearetwotypesof abortionnamely:inducedandspontaneous.Spontaneousabortionisthatwhichoccurswithoutan intentionoraplantoterminatetheembryoandisalsocalledmiscarriage,whileinducedare intentional.Thismeansthereisalwayssomeonebehindthisforittooccur.Abortionmayposeahealth risktothemotherdependingonhowsafelyorunsafelyitisperformed.Itmayresultindeath especially ifperformedbyanunskilledindividual. AbortionispermittedinAustraliabutonwhataccordisitallowedvarydependingonthestatesso astoprotectthewoman'slife.Itisnotamustthatthepartnerofthewomaninquestionisinformed abouttheabortion.Alsoinmoststatesanindividualwhoisnotyetanadultisnotforcedtoseekthe permissionofherparentsbeforeundergoingabortion.

.Itisveryhardtogivetheexactnumberof abortionsperformedinthewholecountryeachyearbecauseoflackofdatacollectionthatis consistent. AccordingtoanewspaperarticleinAustralia,abortionclinicscalledforthestategovernmenttoban abortionclinicfilmingbytheAntiabortionprotesters.Amongthosefilmedarethosegettingintoand exitingtheseclinics.Theyclaimthattheseprotestersusesurveillancedevicestoharass,demeanand intimidatethewomen.Theyseemedworriedonhowthevisualsobtainedbytheseprotesterswouldbe

used.Alsotheydemandedthatthereshouldbesetprotestexclusionzonesbythestategovernmentso thattheseprotestersdonotinfringeontherightsoftheircustomers.Jordan(1998)assertsthatmoral 1 decisionshoulddependonanindividual. Accordingtomedicalethics,therearesomevalueswhicharealwaysappliedincludingautonomy. Thismeansthatanindividualhasarighttochoosetoobtainanytreatmentincludingabortionasthey wish.Decisionshouldbemadebyanindividualwithoutanyrestrictionfromanypartyatalltime.The protestersactuallyareportrayedasgoingtoafurtherextentofdiggingdeeplyintopersonalmatters whichiswrong.Thoseseekingservicesfromtheseclinicsareallowedtomaketheirowninformed decisionandchoosewhattheyfeelcomfortablewithwithoutbeingharassedorrestricted.Inmost cases,peoplefeelintimidatedbytheencounterwiththesurveillancedevicessincetheyfeelthattheir privatelifeisinterferedwith.Kant(1785)insistsonmorallawinhumanity'scoherentabilityand assertsthatconsiderationofphysicaldetailsofactionsarenecessarilyboundupwithaperson's subjectivepreferences,andcouldhavebeenbroughtaboutwithouttheactionofarationalwill. Anotherprincipleaccordingtomedicalethics,iswhatisknownasbeneficencewhichindicatesthat apractitionershouldactinthebestinterestofthepatient.Thesepatientsobtaintheirsatisfactionwhen

theyobtainwhattheyneedfromservicegiversintheclinicsofferingabortionservices.Dan(1987) statesthathumanbeingshavedesireswhichhaveobjects.Thesedesiresarefulfilledwhentheir objectsareobtained.Inthecaseabovethesatisfactionofthoseseekingtheabortionservicesis achievedwhentheyobtaintheveryservices.Everyindividualhasarighttosatisfactionoftheirneeds 2 thusshouldnotbeinterferedwithbyanyotherperson.Asmuchasthesewomenmightnotbeawareof thekindoftreatmentwhichisbestforthem,theyoughttoobtainthetreatment(abortionserviceinthis case)withthehelpoftheappropriatemedicalpractitionersintheseclinicssuchthatattheendofitall theirsatisfactionisrealized.James(2009)assertsthatbeneficenceisoneofthemajorvaluesrequired incareethicsandshouldbeappliedbythosepractisingthesame. Thethirdprinciplepractisedbymedicalpractitionersisthenonmaleficencewhichmeans:Dono harm.Thisemphasisesthefactthatthemedicalpractitionersshouldatnopointharmtheirpatients. Thereshouldbetotalobservationonthemedicalsubstancestheyavailtothepatientssoastoavoid riskingtheirlives.Itisamedicalmalpracticetoprescribeoradministerharmfuldrugstopatientsno mattertheirbackground,culture,religion,raceorlevelofeducation.Allpatientsshouldbetreated withoutsubjectingthemtoanyharm.Sometimesunscrupulousindividualsinthenameofmedical practitionersgivewrongorharmfultreatmenttotheirpatientswhomayendupwithadverseharmor

 evendeaththusthesaying,thetreatmentwasasuccessbutthepatientdied.Thisisaverybadthing tobedonebymedicalpractitioners.Intheabovecase,itisveryclearthatthemedicalclinics mentionedreceiveaverylargenumberofpatientsseekingtheabortionservices.Itisnodoubtthatthe serviceprovidersherearestrictonthemedicalethicsandofferstherighttreatmenttotheirpatientsat alltimesthusthetrusttheyobtainfromtheirpatients.Ifthatisthecase,thentheyshouldbeleftto 3 carryonwiththeirdailydutieswithoutinterferencebyprotesters'accompaniedby'theircameras.The fourthmedicalprincipleisjusticewhichisalsotermedasfairness.Thisactuallymeansfairnesswhen itcomestoallocationofresourcestodifferentindividuals.Thereshouldbeequalallocationof resourcesamongdifferentpeoplewithoutbiasing.Theseresourcesincludemedicalservicesfor exampletheabortionservicesbeingsoughtbywomenfromthemedicalclinics.Noindividualshould restrictanotherfromobtainingtheservicestheyrequireatanypointintheirlives.Theprotestersare portrayedastendingtopreventthesewomenfromobtainingwhatisrightforthem.Differentgroups andsomeindividualsinthesocietyshouldsharewhatisavailableandlacktogetherwhatislacking amongthemthatisthesociety'sbenefitsandburdensencounteredinthedaytodaylife. Accordingtotheethicaltheorieswhichtendtoguideindividualsonhowtheyliveandwhatthey

do,therearedifferentaspectstheyholdonto.ForexampleDeontologywhichemphasisesthatcertain moralrulesgovernmostpartsofourlives.Peoplemaynotgoagainsttheseruleseveniftheresultafter goingagainsttheserulesmaybepositiveorgood.Thisactuallyexplainswhythewomenwhoseek abortionservicesfromtheclinicsdosoevenwhentheyknowthatabortionisacrime.Thisisclearly understoodbytheprotestersandthatiswhytheypersistonharassingthoseinvolvedinthisact.The protestersstandbytheethicaltheoriesandthatgivesthemthegroundtoopposesuchactivitiesagainst 4 humanity.Theybelievethattheyshouldnotbebrokenatanypointinone'slifeevenifitisfortheir benefit.Brody(1975)statesthatabortionismurder,andshouldnotbeconductedsinceitrendersone (theunbornbaby)loosinglife. ConsequentialismalsocalledUtilitarianismisanotherethicaltheorywhichpromotespositive resultswhichareatnopointinone'slifeharmful.Itinsistsonpeopleworkingonthoseactivities which willattheendbenefitmanyindividualsinquestion.Intheabovecase,theunbornbabyisalsointhe bigpicture.Theprotestersandthepartofthesocietyinoppositionofabortiontherefore,believethat theunbornbabyshouldobtainapositiveresulttoo.Ifabortionisperformedthenitmeanstheunborn

childwillbedisadvantagedbecauseitwilllooselifewhilethemothercelebratesthelose.They thereforefighttoseetoitthatboththemotherandthebabyareadvantaged.Consequentialismuses traditionalmoraltheorieswhichdependsalotonjudgingifanactisrightorwrongwiththebelieve thatwhatresultsfromanindividual'sactionsisthecentreofjudgementofthatact.Smart(1956)states thathowrightorwronganactis,isdeterminedbyitsresultswhichcreateshappiness.(p344) Anotherethicaltheoryisthevirtueethicstheory.Thistheoryinsistsonwhatagoodpersonshould doondifferentoccasionsinlife.Thisisbasicallybasedonthecharactertheyshouldportrayunder differentcircumstances. 5 Theyshouldalwaysperformgooddeedsthustheprotestersdoopposeabortionwiththereasonthatitis notagooddeedconsideringthefactthatitinvolvesmurderofaninnocentunbornbaby.Thesedeeds areexpectedtobeacceptableacrossallculturesnomatterthelocationofindividuals. Asmuchastheantiabortionprotestersarejustifiedtofightforrighttolifefortheunbornbabies, theyoughttorespecttherighttofreedomofdecisionmakingofthewomeninvolvedinabortion. Thesewomenareintheirsoundmindsandbythetimetheyheadtotheabortionclinics,theyarelikely tohavedecidedtodowhattheyfeelitsuitsthem.Thereshouldbenobarrierorrestrictionagainstsuch

adecisionwhatsoever. References Brody,Baruch(1975)AbortionandtheSanctityofHumanLife,MITPress. DanW.Brock(1987)LifeandDeathDecisionMakingOxford:OxfordUniversityPress. JamesChildress(2009)PrinciplesofBiomedicalEthics,6thed.,Oxford:OxfordUniversityPress. Jordan,M.C.(1998).EthicsManualFourthedition.AmericanCollegeofPhysicians.AnnInternMed 128(7):57694. KantImmanuel,(1785)GroundingfortheMetaphysicsofMorals3rdEd..Hackett. SmartJ.J.C.,(1956)ExtremeandRestrictedUtilitarianism,thePhilosophicalQuarterly,Oct. pages(344354)