Termination of Pregnancy

This mom has had her 20-week anomaly scan and has discovered she is expecting another boy. This is her fourth pregnancy. She already has three sons and she and her husband decided to have another child in the hope of having a daughter. Sophie and her own mother had a very close bond growing up, and she had dreamt of recreating the mother–daughter bond with her own child. This desire had been made stronger due to the recent death of her own mother. You are her GP and when she comes to see you she is visibly distressed. She confides that she has already booked an appointment with a counselor at the British Pregnancy Advisory Service. She does not want to continue with the current pregnancy as she does not feel she could give enough love to another son. She also tells you that her husband is supportive of any decision she chooses to make as he too has a preference to have a daughter.

• What are the grounds for a lawful termination of pregnancy?
• Is it ethical to terminate a pregnancy on the grounds of fetal sex?
• Does the potential father have any legal rights? Ethical rights?

Apply Theory (Specific Professional Healthcare Competencies + Clinical Medical Ethical Principles) to Practice in order to provide Optimal Patient-Centered Care (OPCC)

Clinical Ethics and Law, Second edition. Carolyn Johnston, Penelope Bradbury, Series editor: Janice Ryme