As a result, if abortion laws continue to use fetal viability as the central criterion for determining whether abortions should be allowed, abortion in the ultraviolet age risks becoming more and more popular. less morally and socially acceptable than it is today.
There is a real risk that future legislation, especially in conservative communities, states and countries, will ban abortion altogether once ectopic birth is available. While ectopic pregnancy can help prevent pregnancy without ending the life of the fetus, such an outcome is not necessarily positive from a feminist standpoint. In fact, some women who choose to have an abortion do so not only to end their pregnancy—to protect their body’s autonomy—but also to avoid becoming a biological mother. Ectogenesis would still make her a biological mother against her will and therefore using it as an alternative to traditional abortion could violate her reproductive autonomy.
Another possible scenario is that a woman wants to have an abortion, but her partner doesn’t want her to. In the absence of arguments for the autonomy of the body, the viability and the right to develop the fetus, combined with the wishes of the partner, can lead to a situation where the woman is forced to transfer the fetus. artificial uterus.
As ectogenesis develops Furthermore, activists and legislators will need to address the question: At what point is it appropriate for a woman to choose a traditional abortion when there is another option that warrants termination? pregnancy and the fetus’s chances of continuing to live? At what point should a woman’s desire not to become a biological mother outweigh the child’s right to exist?
In exploring this question, it is helpful to consider why some women might object to becoming biological mothers, even if they don’t need to shoulder the burden of raising a child who can. adopted after being transferred and fully grown in an artificial womb. Some hesitancy may be due to attitudes and social pressures related to biological parenting. Even if the legal system has exempted the biological mother from legal obligations to her biological child, the biological mother may still feel a sense of obligation towards the child or guilt towards herself. for failing to respect the self-sacrificing quality often idealized and associated with motherhood. Living with these emotions can take a toll on the biological mother, and she may also be at risk of experiencing the associated social stigma.
Of course, the question remains whether the desire to avoid possible social stigma or psychological distress is sufficient to overcome the unborn child’s right to life. We believe this question is controversial, depending on the level of social stigma and the stage of fetal development. However, if social pressure and stigma are enough to cause a woman using an ectopic pregnancy to suffer, then such women’s desire not to be a mother deserves respect. especially during the early stages of fetal development.
Legislation around fertility will also have to take into account body autonomy by ensuring that women have the right to decide what surgeries they allow to be performed on their bodies. While it’s not clear what the procedure will look like, it will almost certainly be invasive, potentially similar to a cesarean section, at least for pregnancies in later stage. Women should have the right to refuse ectopic surgery on the grounds of physical autonomy; if not, as Canadian philosopher Christine Overall pointed outa forced transfer would be the same as intentionally stealing human organs, which is extremely unethical.
Ectogenesis complicates the ethics of abortion and forcing women to undergo elective surgery affects both their reproductive autonomy and bodily freedom. Allowing early abortion in a world of extraterrestrial existence can be a good compromise that reduces complications and ensures women’s rights. However, to ensure women’s reproductive rights, abortion must still be an available option, even after an ectopic birth becomes a reality.
Future legislation will need to ensure that ectogenesis is a choice rather than a new form of coercion. The right to abortion will need to be amended in law around the value of reproductive autonomy and the right not to become a biological parent against one’s will, as opposed to the possibility of a fetus’s survival. As this legal debate captures the attention of politicians, legislators, community leaders, and the general public, the degree to which people and society respect women’s right to choose will become increasingly important. clearer than ever.
