Phenomenology of pregnancy and the ethics of abortion

Abstract

In this article I investigate the ways in which phenomenology could guide our views on the rights and/or wrongs of abortion. To my knowledge very few phenomenologists have directed their attention toward this issue, although quite a few have strived to better understand and articulate the strongly related themes of pregnancy and birth, most often in the context of feminist philosophy. After introducing the ethical and political contemporary debate concerning abortion, I introduce phenomenology in the context of medicine and the way phenomenologists have understood the human body to be lived and experienced by its owner. I then turn to the issue of pregnancy and discuss how the embryo or foetus could appear for us, particularly from the perspective of the pregnant woman, and what such showing up may mean from an ethical perspective. The way medical technology has changed the experience of pregnancy—for the pregnant woman as well as for the father and/or other close ones—is discussed, particularly the implementation of early obstetric ultra-sound screening and blood tests (NIPT) for Down’s syndrome and other medical defects. I conclude the article by suggesting that phenomenology can help us to negotiate an upper time limit for legal abortion and, also, provide ways to determine what embryo–foetus defects to look for and in which cases these should be looked upon as good reasons for performing an abortion.

Should pregnant women be charged for non-invasive prenatal screening? Implications for reproductive autonomy and equal access

“…There is less consensus on Down syndrome as a justified reason to terminate an affected pregnancy; some children born with trisomy 21 may lead relatively contented lives, while others develop severe cognitive delays and somatic conditions. A life with Down syndrome, ‘even if it does not involve major medical problems, is fraught with intellectual disabilities and […] it is, in most cases, a life that is shorter than other human lives’ 33. Some prospective parents may wish to prevent this in their families.…”

Major congenital malformations of foetus: a bane in pregnancy

“…Poverty, lack of awareness, and having multiple disruptive life events, have been associated with higher rates of seeking second-trimester abortion In addition, major anatomic or genetic anomalies may be detected in the foetus in the second trimester and women may choose to terminate their pregnancies (47-95%). [10][11][12][13] Poverty, lack of awareness and having no means to find out the health of the foetus and therefore unable to recognize congenital abnormalities till late in pregnancy and at times only in the third trimester. This is a problem which is encountered many times and is of concern to both the mother and the caregiver.…”

Dilemas éticos y toma de decisiones en el diagnóstico prenatal de trisomía 21

“…En el contexto español, las personas en general y las mujeres en particular tienen derecho, reconocido por ley, a decidir sobre cuestiones que conciernen su vida reproductiva, y el derecho al aborto legal es parte de ellos, de igual modo que el acceso al control de la natalidad o a técnicas de reproducción asistida. Asimismo, cuando el aborto se produce en situaciones de anomalía grave, como cromosomopatía, se fundamenta en que el estado en que el embrión viviría tras el nacimiento sería doloroso y la vida se enajenaría en un grado que hace que tal vida pueda llegar a ser no deseable y peor que no haber nacido (Svenaeus, 2018). Por tanto, el reclamo de responsabilidad en ese caso podría transformarse en una obligación moral de la mujer a abortar para evitar el sufrimiento a una persona futura, lo que la puede llegar a hacer sentir dudas, fomentando así la vulnerabilidad de la mujer durante el proceso de embarazo y parto.…”