The Ethics of the
Beginning of Life
Abortion, Fertility
Treatments, Stem Cells,
Cloning
Some Initial Thoughts
• Bioethics – What is it?
• Pay attention to language
– What makes a being human?
– What’s the difference between a human being
and a human person
• What is technically and scientifically
possible is not for that very reason morally
admissible or allowable
Consistent Ethic of Life
• AKA, the seamless
garment theory
• Basic focus  Value of
Life
• Protection of Life “womb
to tomb”
• Issues of Life are
interrelated and
interconnected
– What are some of the
issues?
– abortion, modern warfare,
the death penalty, and
euthanasia,
Dignity of Human Person
• Our physical, temporal lives (and bodies)
are gifts
• Human Life is of basic value at all stages
– “From womb to tomb”
• Consistent Ethic of Life
• General Presumption to Protect Innocent
Human Life
When does the human being
become a human person?
• At the moment of conception?
• At the point where no differentiation can
occur?
• At some point during fetal development?
• At the point of birth?
• One year after birth?
– Peter Singer
When does the human being
become a human person?
• Fetal Development
– After uterine implantation
– After twinning is no longer possible
– Heartbeat
– Brainwaves
– Quickening
• Movement felt by mothers (around 18-20 weeks)
– Viability
– Full term
Reactions to the
Fetal Development
• What strikes you about the data?
Central Values and Questions
in the Abortion Debate
• When does human life begin?
– Human life is precious and sacred
• Never directly take the life of an innocent human
being
– Are we playing God if we have an abortion?
• What about the woman’s right to privacy?
• Why are women having abortions?
What Week?
What Week?
What Week?
What Week?
What Week?
What Week?
• Zygote
• 30 hours after
fertilization
• Size of a pin head
What Week?
• 6-7 Weeks
• All major organs forming
• Own blood type, unique
from the mother’s
• Hair follicles, nipples form
• Knees and elbows are
visible
• Facial features
observable
• Eyes have a retina and
lens
• Major muscle system
developed
• Embryo is able to move.
What Week?
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12 Weeks
Heart nearly developed
Heart rate can be heard
Most organs developed
Red bloods are produced
Face well formed
Eyes almost developed
Eyelids close until 28th Week
Fetus can make fist
Testosterone is produced in
male testes
What Week?
• 16 Weeks
• Brain fully developed
• Fetus can suck, swallow,
and make irregular
breathing sounds.
• Fetus can feel pain
• Fetal skin almost
transparent.
• Active movements
including kicks and even
somersaults.
• Muscles tissue is
lengthening and bones
are becoming harder.
What Week?
• 24 Weeks
• A protective waxy
substance called Vernix
covers the skin.
• Fetus has a hand and
startle reflex.
• Footprints and fingerprints
are forming.
• Fetus practices breathing
by inhaling amniotic fluid
into its developing lungs.
Abortion Stats
• There are 1.31 million abortions in the U.S.
each year.
• 48% of women now seeking abortion have
had at least one previous abortion.
• The U.S. abortion rate is among the
highest of developed countries.
• The U.S. abortion rate per 100
pregnancies is 24.5.
At What Point in Gestation?
• 23% in the first 6 weeks -- 301,300 annually
34.5% in the seventh or eighth week -- 451,950 annually
• 19.5% in the ninth or tenth week -- 255,450 annually
• 10% in the eleventh or twelfth week -- 131,000 annually
• 6.0% in the thirteenth through fifteenth weeks -- 78,600
annually
• 4.5% in the sixteenth through twentieth weeks -- 58,950
annually
• 1.5% at twenty-one weeks or more -- 19,650 annually
At What Point in Gestation
35
30
Before 6 Weeks
25
7-8 Weeks
20
9-10 Weeks
15
11-12 Weeks
10
13-15 Weeks
16-20 Weeks
5
Beyond 20 Weeks
0
Gestational Weeks
Primary Reasons for
Seeking Abortion
Can't Afford
Unready
Concerned about Change of life
Problems with Relationship/Avoid
Single Parenting
Not Mature
Don't want more children
Potential Fetal Health Problem
Mother's Health
Rape/Incest
Partner wants abortion
Don't want others to know they had sex
Slice 12
Why Women Have Abortions –
Primary Reasons
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21% can't afford a baby
21% are unready for responsibility
16% concerned about how having a baby could change their lives
12% have problems with relationship or want to avoid single
parenthood
11% are not mature enough/are too young to have children
8% have all the children they want/have all grown-up children
3% possible fetal health problem
3% maternal health problem
1% pregnancy resulted from rape or incest
1% husband/partner wants them to have abortion
1% don’t want others to know they had sex or are pregnant
Fertility Treatment
• Artificial Insemination
– AIH vs. AID
– Rarely done today
– Insemination can occur in cervix, uterus, or
fallopian tubes
• In Vitro Fertilization
– Insemination outside the womb, in “test tube”
– Then implanted
Other Issues Around Fertility
Treatment
• “Spares”
– Frozen embryos left over from fertility
treatments
• What are the ethical questions surrounding
spares?
– Do we throw them out?
– Do we allow people to adopt them?
– Do we use them for research?
• Stem Cells
In Vitro Fertilization
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Marriage is both unitive and procreative
Both AI and IVF are physically divorced from the
unitive aspect of marriage
Over 200,000 IVF babies in U.S. since 1981
Average cost is $12,400
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Is the laboratory the “loving
environment” in which
children should ideally be
created?
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What about unused embryos?
Human life or simply lab
material?
What to do with “spares”?
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More than 500,000 frozen
embryos are stored in
clinics throughout the U.S.
What do we do with this
“human life on ice”?
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Allow the clinic to destroy the
embryos
Allow the embryos to remain
in storage indefinitely
Donate the embryos to
another infertile couple so
their embryos have a chance
at life