Authors:Louise Bernier, Stéphane Bernatchez, Alexandra Sweeney Beaudry Pages: 1 - 15 Abstract: It seems that the implementation of the rights recognised by legislators and courts in the context of late-term abortion and medical aid in dying are, in practice, problematic. Indeed, we are currently in an era where the law places great importance on individual autonomy in the medical field, but where practices and other normativities considerably limit this autonomy. It is therefore appropriate to take a critical look at the concept of autonomy in the context of late-term abortion and medical aid in dying. These observations raise questions about the role and limits of state law when transposed into a clinical context, as well as about the lack of attention paid by the law to the recipients of the norm. The challenge is to ensure that the different norms and values coexist so that the decision-making mechanisms reflect a genuine concern for living together. PubDate: 2022-06-13 Issue No:Vol. 5, No. 2 (2022)
Authors:Marilou Charron, Katie Saulnier, Nicole Palmour, Hortense Gallois, Yann Joly Pages: 16 - 25 Abstract: Individuals with intersex variations fall outside the normative sex binary of male and female for various reasons. These individuals are highly stigmatized and discriminated against in the legal, medical and social spheres. In this paper, we analyze manifestations of such discrimination in the healthcare context and hypothesize that Patient Centred Care (PCC) and Shared Decision Making (SDM) approaches are improperly practiced with intersex individuals. Through a narrative review of current literature, we present evidence of improper practice of PCC and SDM and its effects on intersex individuals and, in the pediatric context, their parents. Misinformation by medical practitioners to parents of intersex individuals promotes the perpetuation of unnecessary surgical interventions. We propose strategies to improve intersex medical care, including better adherence to SDM and PCC guidelines as well as the sociocultural normalisation of intersex identity. Current perceptions of surgical interventions done on intersex infants and children need to better align with evidence-based physical and psychological health risks. All these strategies are part of preserving the autonomy and physical integrity of intersex individuals and ensuring that their well-being remains at the heart of their care in the medical context. PubDate: 2022-06-13 Issue No:Vol. 5, No. 2 (2022)
Authors:Brynne McArthur, Alexandra Campbell, Andria Bianchi Pages: 124 - 128 Abstract: The purpose of this commentary is to consider circumstances under which it may be ethical to permit patients to use licit substances in rehabilitation contexts. While the content of this commentary may be transferable to other healthcare spaces, our focus on rehabilitation is based on some important distinctions that exist between rehabilitation and acute care spaces. PubDate: 2022-06-13 Issue No:Vol. 5, No. 2 (2022)
Authors:Simon Legault Pages: 129 - 131 Abstract: The book Mourir au 21 siècle: entre corporalités et technologies by Audrey Deveault and Michaël Lessard addresses the legal, ethical and phenomenological issues raised by the impact of technological innovations on death. It explores the legal void, as well as the individual and social representations of death, proposing a plural vision of its symbolism and various avenues of reflection to fuel the debate. PubDate: 2022-06-13 Issue No:Vol. 5, No. 2 (2022)
Authors:Vera Lúcia Carapeto Raposo Pages: 189 - 202 Abstract: The main objection to genetic enhancement is that it will create a “genetic apartheid,” deepening existing inequalities. This paper offers considerations that can weaken the inequality argument against genetic enhancement. First, I question the dichotomy of treatment versus enhancement since the differences between the two are unclear. Second, I argue that human enhancement is part of human nature and that there is no sound reason to accept it in other domains while rejecting it in genetics. The paper also demonstrates that inequality is present in every dimension of society, that “God-given” genetics is profoundly unequal, and that genetic enhancement can operate as a mechanism by which a new genetic equality can be achieved. However, the paper underlines that genetic equality is not, per se, a value to which we ought to aspire if it leads us to a uniform community of downsized human beings. Genetic equality is only valuable if it enhances humankind in general. PubDate: 2022-06-13 Issue No:Vol. 5, No. 2 (2022)
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