Termination of Pregnancy

Sophie 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. 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 counsellor 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 lawful to terminate a pregnancy on the grounds of fetal sex?
• Does the potential father have any legal rights?

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

Source – Ethics Case Studies from Clinical Ethics and Law (Second Edition), Carolyn Johnston Penelope Bradbury