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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Lisa A. Eckenwiler, PhD, Center for the Study of Medical Ethics and Humanities, Duke University Medical Center, Box 3040, 108 Seeley G. Mudd Building, Durham, NC 27710, 919-668-9000, lisa.eckenwiler@duke.edu
Recent months have seen a surge in attention to sex-selection.(1) This presentation will consider the three major justifications offered for sex-selection and argue that it is morally impermissible in most cases because it perpetuates the oppression of women, and because of its potential to harm children and perpetuate an unjust distribution of health resources. Cultural norms and economic structures are central to these concerns. Cultural norms about desirable children constrain the autonomy of women deciding about pre natal diagnosis. As well, cultural norms compromise the autonomy of children to the extent that they are denied the right to an open future. These norms can create psychological harm and treat children as commodities, violating the moral prohibition against treating others merely as a means. Economic structures underlie the preference for male children, especially in developing countries. Economic structures also are at work in contributing to injustice to the extent that scarce medical and health resources are used to uphold cultural norms while more serious health needs among women go unaddressed, particularly in developing countries. Moreover, where health care professionals have financial ties to those who develop and sell the technologies, conflicts of interest exist. Indeed, women are exploited while others profit from perpetuating their undervalued status. Given the interest in establishing social justice or human rights as possible moral foundations for public health, such uses of technology should be of concern to public health professionals.
1. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine recently announced its suport of the practice, and major newspapers have described increases in the marketing of technologies both in the United States and abroad.
Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.