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Why Was This Article Written
The authors of this article work together to seek to explain fetal pain and how that pain
can be caused by many factors. Everybody has their personal opinions of fetal pain; the main
belief being based on whether the fetus can feel pain or not. This article outlines the many
different arguments of how a fetus can possibly feel pain, from physical standpoints to
psychological. It also acknowledges the challenges faced by those who seek to provide services
to women known as abortion. (Derbyshire SWG, Bockmann JC. J Med Ethics 2020)
What is the Main Idea of this Article
The main idea of this article was to spark conversation on the possibility of fetal pain and
the effects that could arise from that possibility. (Derbyshire SWG, Bockmann JC. J Med Ethics
2020) The authors did a brilliant job at outlining the many potential causes of the anticipated
fetal pain as well as giving readers some room for thought about each talking point so they can
include their own opinions. In the end whether the readers agree with the authors or not, they
still managed to get people thinking about the topic and really make them question the
possibility.
To Whom Would this Article be Relevant
After reading this article I think women who want abortions would be a relevant
audience. Mainly because this article does pose some good questions as well as some evidence to
support the theory of fetal pain. This may help women understand that a fetus is a living being
from the time of conception versus them believing the fetus is not living until their first breath on
earth.
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Interesting Quote from this Article
“Many people take the International Association for the Study of Pain definition
as their starting point, which states that pain is “an unpleasant sensory and emotional
experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of
such damage… pain is always subjective.”” (Derbyshire SWG, Bockmann JC. J Med
Ethics 2020; 46:3)
Sharable Content from this Article
In the article there is a section that talks about the psychological viewpoint
on fetal pain. According to the authors, the definition of pain is often understood as pain
not only being phenomenological but also reflective (Derbyshire SWG, Bockmann JC. J
Med Ethics 2020; 46:3). Later in the section, the authors explain what they mean by this
by describing how we understand pain differently than a fetus. They describe that when
adults experience pain we feel it differently because the pain invokes an inner state of
consciousness that connects to, for instance fear. A fetus, however, experiences something
more of a biological activity.
Biblical Concept Related to the Article
“Children are a gift from the lord, they are a reward from him” (New King James
Version, Psalm 127:3). “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me in my mother’s
womb. I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (New King James Version,
Psalm 139:13-14). These bible versus say a lot about what it means to have a child. They
explain how incredible it is to have a child and how grateful the mother should be. The
article talks about fetal pain when it comes to abortion, and this greatly reflects on how
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References
Derbyshire, Stuart WG; Bockmann, John C. Journal of Medical Ethics; London Vol. 46,
Issu. 1, (Jan 2020): 3. DOI:10.1136/medethics-2019-105701
https://www.proquest.com/docview/2347546923?
_oafollow=false&accountid=12085&sourcetype=Scholarly%20Journals
The Holy Bible, New King James Version (1982), 329-331.
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