This Is Me Now – Final Paper Assignment

Cultural, Legal, and Ethical Issues in Health Care

 Reproductive control

o Something significant I learned:

Reproductive control was a topic that I did not know much about. I personally

have never known anyone that have been the given or been the recipient of donor

sperm or egg. I learned how outrageously expensive it was to become a recipient

of an egg donation as well as how much women could potentially be paid for

being a donor. I also had never really thought about what happens when a couple

chooses to freeze their embryos and then separate.

o How my opinion has been affected:

Reading about reproductive control really helped me form a better opinion. While

I thought I supported it because it can help people have a family who aren’t able

to on their own, I never realized how costly it was. I also did not realize that the

donations may cost more or less based on the attributes that the donor possesses.

While I do still support egg donation, I struggle with the idea that it is not really

considered a “donation” if you are being paid over $10,000 dollars. While I am

sure all of the individuals who choose to be the recipient of a donor egg are happy

with their decision, it is unsettling to me that they are being charged outrageous

amounts for the procedure and the donor egg itself. I feel as though it is taking

advantage of those in a very vulnerable state who are willing to do anything to

carry a child of their own.

 o How my ability to discuss/analyze has improved:

This section gave me the understanding of the reproductive world that I did not

have before. While I knew that there were many ethical issues surrounding

reproductive control I did not fully grasp the full process of it. I am now able to

discuss with others the different sides of reproductive control and the process in

which assisted reproduction occurs from donation to the embryo transfer.

 Abortion

o Something significant I learned:

During the section on abortion I learned a lot of things. I did not realize that

abortion clinics were not held to the same standards by the health department as

other doctors’ offices and hospitals. I also did not realize that it was so common in

other countries for people to terminate pregnancies after finding out their child

will be born with Down Syndrome. It also surprised me how in many scenarios

women don’t have control over their bodies and a lack of their own reproductive

freedom.

o How my opinion has been affected:

Overall my opinion on abortion has not changed very much. I was not necessarily

“pro-abortion”, but I did support the concept of women having the right to make

that choice if they wanted. I do still fully support women having the right to

control what happens to their own bodies, if not even more now than before.

Although it did confirm to me that an abortion is not something that I would

personally choose, it helped me understand that there are many situations that
 someone might make that choice. I do not however support abortions later in the

pregnancy. I also now understand that there are many reasons that a woman might

choose to terminate a pregnancy including many different complications that can

arise potentially causing harm to the mother or the child and it is important that

we as a society are open to that. It is not fair for us to treat people poorly based on

their own medical decisions.

o How my ability to discuss/analyze has improved:

I now have more knowledge on the subject and am able to discuss and analyze

different situations involving abortion. The different case studies and videos

helped me understand both perspectives and give me more of a background to

discuss abortion with individuals. It helped me be sensitive towards those who are

pro-life but still give me a background to support my case.

 Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide

o Something significant I learned:

Before the Euthanasia and physician assisted suicide section I definitely had my

opinions on it. However, I did not realize that there were so many states where it

was considered illegal or malpractice. It was surprising to me to see how difficult

it was for someone who is suffering from a terminal illness to go through the

process of physician assisted suicide. I also learned more about the reasons that

people might consider euthanasia as an option.

o How my opinion has been affected:

 My opinion on assisted suicide has not changed that much. Before watching the

videos and reading the chapter I was supportive of physician assisted suicide in

certain circumstances, and I still feel the same. Something that really stood out to

me was that society makes it seem as though the courageous ones who are willing

to suffer the most and making the decision to go through with an assisted suicide

is an “easy way out”. I now understand the many risks and ethical issues that

come along with assisted suicide, however I think the most important thing is to

change the stigma surrounding assisted suicide. In the end I feel as though

understand that assisted suicide is supporting choice rather than death is

important. I think that the biggest opinion that I have gained is the patients ability

to make the decision and consent on their own as well as not taking that freedom

of choice away from them.

o How my ability to discuss/analyze has improved:

I now have a lot more knowledge on assisted suicide. It is generally a topic many

people tend to avoid. Learning about the different ethical issues surrounding

assisted suicide has helped me gain a better perspective on both the benefits and

risks that are associated with it. I can now discuss and analyze different scenarios

surrounding the topic with a better background and understanding of the subject.

 Distributing health care

o Something significant I learned:

This section really stood out to me in this course, specifically the “Playing God”

assignment. This was very easy to relate to the current world pandemic going on.

It was interesting to hear about how truly difficult it is to have to make the
 decision of who to save in tragic situations like this. It feels as though it is

impossible to have an outcome that will make everyone happy. I also had never

really spent time researching the issues surrounding health care disparities and the

right to for individuals to obtain healthcare.

o How my opinion has been affected:

While listening to the “Playing God” podcast it was very eerie considering the

current pandemic that is going on around the world. Before this, I had never really

thought about what would happen if you truly did not have the resources to help

everyone in need of medical attention. It is tragic, but I realized that it is a very

real situation and it is important to be prepared incase of something happening. It

was interesting to analyze the different sides and the reasonings behind them and I

have finally come to the conclusion that there is so many ethical issues

surrounding the topic that it is almost impossible to conquer all of them in the

same way since it is very situational based. I now am more grateful for the access

that I have to healthcare knowing that there are so many who do not have that

privilege. In the end, triage is an inhumane act which humans are sometimes

forced to do. I now believe that it is important to have a system in place to provide

a protocol for emergency situations in which we are forced to make decisions

without allowing personal emotions to be involved.

o How my ability to discuss/analyze has improved:

This section gave me better knowledge about distributing healthcare. It sems as

though it is something that will never happen to us, but in reality it is something

that all healthcare workers should be prepared for. Ultimately, I truly hope that I
 am never in a situation where I am forced to make a decision such as this.

However, I am now better prepared to analyze the scenario and be able to make

ethically correct decisions and be able to help the most people possible.

 Those with AIDS/HIV

o Something significant I learned:

The HIV/AIDS epidemic is something that has been going on for a long time. I

was aware of it and the stigma surrounding it. I did learn that it is very important

to end the stigma surrounding people living with HIV. In the end, they are human

and should be treated equally. I learned about individuals living with HIV that are

careless and fail to inform their partners about their HIV status as well as people

who intentionally spread the virus to others. I also learned more about the

research that has been conducted about HIV and the ethical issues behind patient

confidentiality vs. registering as HIV positive.

o How my opinion has been affected:

Before this section I was fully supportive of registering HIV positive individuals,

however now it is unsettling knowing that these individuals are being forced to

violate their confidentiality. I do believe that it is an expectation and morally right

for them to inform any potential sexual partner of their HIV status. However, I

now see the true issue of the stigma behind HIV individuals and how they are

made out to be criminals because of a virus. I believe that it is important for us to

protect our society but also protect the HIV positive individuals. I do believe that

those who fail to inform their partners should be charged, it is immoral and

irresponsible to hide your HIV status from your partners.

 o How my ability to discuss/analyze has improved:

I now have more knowledge of the subject surrounding HIV and AIDS. I see the

huge stigma that society has put on these individuals and see the importance of

raising awareness and educating the public on the subject. I see that individuals

are living in fear of being criticized by society and it is important to change that. I

am now able to discuss the topic with others now that I have gained knowledge on

the subject and hope to raise more awareness of the virus.

The overall impact this class has had on me (300+ words):

This course was very eye opening to me. It helped me see the importance in

ethicists and the role they play in our healthcare system. It also showed me how

important it is for healthcare workers to understand ethics when treating patients. It is

important to treat everyone equally and also by making sure the patients are in control of

their treatment. It is also important to educate patients so they understand their condition

and different treatment options.

Throughout this class I have learned that there truly are two sides to every story.

There are multiple viewpoints and it is very difficult to distinguish the one that is the

most ethically correct. And in many cases, there isn’t simply a right or wrong answer. I

have always been the type of person who had my own feelings about different scenarios

but could still see why other people’s opinions might differ. I think it was beneficial for

me to be able to see both sides, but I found myself saying “Well this is how I feel, but I

can see why others feel differently.” This class forced me to pick a side and helped me

define where I truly stand for healthcare related issues. While I spent many nights
 frustrated trying to decide what truly was the best options, I feel that this class was

helpful for me to be able to better understand and back up my own opinions.

I also learned that most cases in healthcare are very situational based. There are

countless situations where the best option might change. These decisions are not a simple

“yes or no” scenarios and you must be open to seeing all of the facts and judging off of

each individual case. Overall I truly enjoyed this course, it was interesting to learn about

the different topics and gain a better understanding of ethics.

The link to my ePortfolio where I have posted my paper: 

https://tristaholder01.weebly.com/bio-ethics.html