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Analysis: “Women who have Abortions Should Donate Fetal Tissue to Science”, by Elizabeth Nolan Brown
Notes
- Fetal tissue may provide significant discoveries via medical research
- Informed consent is the main issue under contention
- Anti-abortion campaigners leading the front against the donation of fetal tissue to scientific research
Summary and Analysis
The article, “Women who have Abortions Should Donate Fetal Tissue to Science”, by Elizabeth Nolan Brown continues the debate on the supposed implications that the abortion process on pregnancy care in America presently. In the periodical, Planned Parenthood acknowledges the significance of fetal tissue in scientific research (Brown 1). However, opponents against abortion have established a dismal campaign against this issue citing the progression of a practice that abominable by moral standards. Nonetheless, the provision of fetal tissue for research purposes is relevant and imperative. The allegation revolving around the sale of ‘baby parts’ clearly ignores the reasons behind the use of the respective parts. Over the years, fetal tissue has been used by researchers in order to understand the cell replication process. In addition to this, fetal tissue has been used in the development of vaccines and further understanding on cell and human biology (Brown 5). In this respect, fetal tissue is imperative in scientific research. Even though the provision of such parts may be unethical to the opponents, patients who opt for the procedure are required to offer informed consent in order to allow for the use of fetal tissue. Aside from the aspects of biological discovery and informed consent, the provision of fetal tissue for medical research offers a platform for future as well as positive findings in the scientific and medical community. The donation of fetal tissue and organs can assist the medical community in uncovering the mechanisms that bacteria and harmful organisms use in order to convey disease internally. As such, the arguments by anti-abortion campaigners ignore the optimistic outcomes that the medical community and the society in general stand to gain due to medical research.
Works Cited
Brown, Elizabeth Nolan. “Women who have Abortions Should Donate Fetal Tissue to Science”. Newsweek. 30 Jul. 2015. Web. 2 Sep. 2015. <http://www.newsweek.com/women-who-have-abortions-should-donate-fetal-tissue-science-358547/>