Ethical and Juridical Relativism of Abortion in Embryo Reduction

Abstract

Ethics is the science of human behavior in society. Ethical discussions are daily inserted within a new social dimension, such as abortion and embryo reduction. Abortion is the interruption of pregnancy spontaneously or intentionally, resulting in the death of the still-to-be-born child. The Brazilian Federal Constitution and Civil Law guarantee the right to life from conception and provides the right of personality to the born child. However, the juridical ordering does not pinpoint the time of the start of life. The right to life is bonded to the principle of the human person from whom all other rights derive. These rights comprise freedom, family constitution and other. The right to life is not absolute since the lawmaker attributes differentiated tutelages to the still-to-be-born child and to the person, even permitting abortion on conditions foreseen by Penal Law. Embryo reduction is a procedure by which the number of fetuses in a multiple pregnancy is diminished so that complications could be avoided at the mother’s convenience or on medical advice. The Brazilian Federal Medical Council does not allow this practice even though it is a common occurrence, without any practical control, boiling down to the same effects of abortion. It should be emphasized that when multiple pregnancy puts the mother in danger, the procedure is a necessary abortion. However, the regulation of assisted human reproduction techniques is mandatory so that the ethical and juridical relativism in its procedures could be diminished or extinguished.