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My religion has nothing to do with my profession as a medical practitioner; though, I would respect others' spiritual beliefs and/or choices (e.g. Jehovah's witnesses with blood transfusions and such).

With that being said, since the young girl made the choice to abort her pregnancy, I, a Roman Catholic medical practitioner, would be more than willing to help in giving her a safe abortion. It is her right to bodily autonomy and I must respect that.

Besides, since the patient is both 15 years old and living below the poverty line, it just seems more realistic to abort her pregnancy since childbirth would be both highly damaging to her general health and financially taxing to the mother, the child, and the family.

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Given the instance of the 15-year-old pregnant girl who is part of the marginalized, my mentality as a Doctor is to save the lives of people the best way possible whatever the case is the patient going through. With this, I would not only decide to not go through abortion but treat The patient differently.

to defend what I stated, my purpose in being a doctor is to save the lives of people and not involve things that are related to killing. An early stage of a child inside a 1 month of the girl's womb is still considered a living being and It is unsettling for me to approach this procedure in order to save a life of a young woman. I want to save both the woman and the child's love, cause I believe that even though it is unfortunate to have a child at a very young age and being part of the poverty line, both lives deserve to live. By doing this I would take care of and help the 15-year-old girl through proper medications, food supply, and efficient assistance without letting her face financial problems since she is part of the poverty community. It is also important for me to let my patient improve their health of people's lives.

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Being a devout Catholic medical practitioner, I should consider both my faith and role as a doctor in making this decision. Currently, the patient is 15 years old. At that age, she is still developing, mentally and physically. If she continues with the pregnancy it would damage her mentally and physically.

At a young age of 15, she would have a hard time adjusting. She most probably will not be familiar with the duties of a mother and this will greatly affect her childhood development and responsibilites.

As a Catholic medical practitioner, it is my duty and responsibility to help and provide this girl a safe abortion. It is such a difficult and challenging situation for women to be in especially in a young age, that the least that we should do is to provide them with the freedom to choose.

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I would encourage her to have an abortion if I were a doctor. Because the girl is poor, she would have a tougher time sustaining herself and her kid if she gave birth. Yes, she is undoubtedly to blame because of her carelessness and recklessness. If she does not abort the child, it will inevitably wreck both of their lives, forcing her to work at the age of 15 with no experience. With this in mind, the baby will suffer significantly more because it will not receive a proper food, sleep, or suitable gear or equipment such as diapers, baby bottles, and so on.

It'll only get worse when she gives birth to the baby. After all, she is the mother and has the legal right to do anything she wants, and she chose abortion, so we might as well assist her to avoid any additional issues.

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As a medical practitioner, the patient's health is of utmost concern, and is also what is to be done. Despite what I deem to be the suitable solution or action to take, it is ultimately the 15 year old girl’s decision and I am to comply. The best I can do is enrich her with her options.

Secondly, since I am a devout Catholic in this scenario, I would also consider her beliefs. Is she herself a Catholic? What does she believe to be the best way to approach this situation in accordance with her religious beliefs or ethics?

Now getting to my personal stance. My vote relies on the human personhood of the subject. I believe in the gradience of personhood – the higher your level of cognition, the more I consider you to be a person. I see human personhood in levels, and it is my basis on who should be prioritized in this matter. Since the mother is who I consider to be more of a person, I would go along with her say as opposed to the embryo.

Onto another point, I also consider sentience as a basis for personhood, the ability to feel pain and pleasure. Based on fetal development, they are only able to have sentience at 23 weeks, at the earliest. Lastly, in almost every aspect of my life, I always prioritize the biological basis. An organism is considered to be ‘living’ if they have a set of fully functioning body organs and are self-sufficient. According to Artal-Mittelmark (2021), almost all organs are completely formed by about 10 weeks after fertilization (which equals 12 weeks of pregnancy). So, the baby isn’t even considered alive, rather a cluster of developmental cells.

In conclusion, I am pro-choice, and I condone abortions. Whatever the pregnant woman decides. Ultimately, I will assist her in her abortion.

REFERENCES:

https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/women-s-health-issues/normal-pregnancy/stages-of-development-of-the-fetus

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Being a medical practitioner while being a devoted Christian is tough as there are practices and teachings that will bump with with each other.

We need to understand that she is15 years old which is a minor, pregnant and below poverty line. I do not agree with abortion in general. I honestly think that health is the priority to give the patient another chance in life.

If she pushes through pregnancy, I would gladly help her through the process, though it would be tough for a young woman. Taking care of a baby when you are 15 or 16 years would be the worst. Not to mention the fact that there are times where sickness, vomiting, and some other health related issues within the process of carrying the baby.

If she chooses to go with abortion, I would personally perform a safe abortion than her having a chance to die from unsafe abortion practitioners. I truly believe that while we are still alive, we still have a chance to change and choose what is right.

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Since it is my role as a medical practitioner, it is my job and responsibility to assist patients in their medical needs. However this is a tough decision as I am a Catholic and it is against my religion.

My decision would be to attend to the needs as it is my job. Knowing the background of my patient who is a 15 year old and under poverty, she may not have the basic needs to support this child. As the child grows it may affect her situation even more.

A young woman still has a lot to go through especially because it is the stage of going into adulthood. This woman has to still focus on her situation or her reality as having a child would almost be unable to survive under her hands.

An example would be women as victims of rape. Women that have been impregnated by the act of rape would have not willingly done the act to bare a child. It would be a difficult situation to be in as the woman would have to decide on what to do with a baby that they do not want or know how to raise.

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While I am a Christian, I am also a medical practitioner who is responsible for the lives of my patients, so I must also take that into consideration.

First, we must consider the patient herself. She is 15 years old, a minor, and is living below the poverty line. If I refuse, she will either go through with the pregnancy, or she will possibly just opt for an unsafe abrotion practitioners who cannot guarantee her safety. Going through with the abortion also has its own questions, as I will have to effectively kill an embyo, which can possibly be considered as a living human being, especially when put under the Christian lens.

If she goes through with the pregnancy, there is the issue of the future of the child, especially considering the mother is only 15 years old and below the poverty line. Raising a child is not cheap, needing around PHP10,000.00 per month or PHP120,000.00 per year. The teenager will have to consider another mouth to feed in her family, as well as additional expenses for raising babies, such as baby products like baby milk and diapers. It is also a massive time investment, and a 15 year old may not have the development necessary for the challenge, being only an adolescent. Should the baby be born, there is a decent to high likelihood that the child will simply grow up impoverished and the mother will have a much harder time in life.

Even if I refuse, she may simply go to an unsafe abortion practitioner and have a high risk of dying, which will kill both the teenager and the unborn child. This is the worst possibility with neither having a high chance of surviving.

Going through with the abortion will require me to consider whether or not I deem the fetus as a living being, and whether or not I should continue anyways if I do. As a Christian, I personally think the fetus is alive, so I must answer whether or not it is just or right to kill it. I subscribe to the belief of existentialism, or that our existence comes before our essence. Basically, it means that we build our own person or character as we live, and we are not born with it predetermined. Following that, it can be said that the teenager has more essence compared to the fetus. She has lived longer, and has a more concrete sense of self and being compared to the fetus who has not even left the womb and grown as an individual. In a strictly utilitarian sense, the fetus has less perceived value compared to the teenager, so it would be better to sacrifice the former and let the latter live.

After much deliberation, I would let the teenager go through with the abortion, as raising a child is a heavy responsibility which may just make things worse in the long run, and she may also go to unsafe abrotion practitioners if I refuse, which may end up with both her and the child dying. While I have my issues with killing something I perceive as a living human being, I still consider the teenager to be more important than the fetus, so letting her live would be the better option, even if the fetus dies.

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In situations like this it is important and highly beneficial to stay professional and do what is asked. Although I am heavily invested in religion it is in no way acceptable that I make decisions out of faith, rightfully speaking the decision of aborting a child is not mine to make but the situation only calls for I am the one qualified to perform the operation.

In the case of the 15 year old girl however all decisions are to be made by her. I personally do not support abortion but in a situation like this it is better to act and think logically for the current and future life of a young person is at stake. Teenage pregnancy is not a light subject matter a lot of factors are needed to be accounted for when dealing with such a situation.

Factors like emotional, physical, and financial states are the most notable. Questions asking if the child is emotionally ready or physically ready to take up the task, and the aspect of financial capability is a whole different discussion. In this case a 15 year old girl living under the poverty line is not an ideal situation to be in even if emotionally and physically ready.

Dwelling on the emotional aspect it would be quite arrogant and irresponsible to deem the girl mature enough for the task of raising a child under poverty.

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After being asked to assist a 15 year old abort a one month old baby, I believe that I would agree to abort the baby. There are many positive reasons to abort this baby.

One of the reason is that the 15 year old is too young to be able to look after a baby. She still has to focus on her education and her teenage life to able able to grow up into an adult that has a good amount of knowledge to live a normal life. The 15 year old girl is also living under the poverty line which means it will be very difficult for her family to also support her baby. This will not only affect the life of the 15 year old girl but also her entire family would be suffering.

Aborting the baby may ruin this one baby's life, however, giving birth to this baby will affect the 15 year old girl and her parents lives. I believe it is better to sacrifice one persons life over three or even more depending on how much people are in her family. This is why I would abort the baby for her.

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Regardless of my role in life, if someone were to approach me regarding their abortion, it is not may place to make that decision since I am not the one raising the child. However given my role and expertise as a devout Catholic medical practitioner, I believe I am confident in my abilities and could give her the opportunity to at least properly weigh her options; to abort, or to not abort, and come up with an assured consensus which will be discussed below.

I understand that people at very young ages do not yet fully understand the consequences of their actions, so at the very least, I wouldn’t put the blame on the girl for she is just a child who is curious on discovering things she finds interesting. Everyone has been through the stage of doing things for the sake of it, but we all have different experiences of it and this is just one of them.

As a devout Catholic, I’d ask the girl what the baby mean to her. Does she see it as something that will bring her hassle and difficulty, or as a blessing being able to carry the gift of life and subsequently explore new forms of love by raising her own kin; it really is a beautiful and rewarding experience.

But as a medical practitioner, she needs to be informed that raising a child is not easy or cheap, especially considering her circumstances on a frugal lifestyle. If she is to raise one, she WILL have to find a way to improve her quality of life or they will both suffer.

Based on the economy of the Philippines, it's just bad and there's no clear vision or plan for sunshine shining down on us since we're a third-world country with a "sufficient" government; we are not in a favorable supporting environment. So in the eyes of logic, abortion may be the best option. However, life is not all black and white and there are other external factors like support from families, relatives, and such that actually are successful. But as a person driven by focus on a goal, a distraction of a human lifeform in my responsibility will not be worth sacrificing my big plans for myself and my family.

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Being a Catholic medical practitioner or not, I  personally feel that the choice is evident in helping the young lady undergo an abortion. With factors like the uncertainty of the lady being able to support the needs of the child, the future of the child and the underlying risk of the girl going to an unlicensed practitioner to abort the baby. As a professional, it's gravely important that each of these points are considered before making such a big decision that could not only affect the lady but the kid's future as well. Taking into consideration my religious beliefs as well, I'd do everything in my power to help my patient, both as a professional and as a person.

I feel that declining her request for an abortion would cause more problems for me knowing that she could die in a risky yet preventable situation that would leave twice the blood on my hands. In addition, if I knew that a 15 year old girl with no financial support and willingness to devote herself to this child would ask for my help, the most I could do is alleviate her from her stress and issues that she shouldn't be dealing with in the first places. By declining her right to undergo and abortion, I'm not only putting her in unnecessary stress but also potentially ruining her future. In regard to the child that's yet to be born, although harsh to think about, I'd rather save the life of a conscious person who has a long future ahead of her rather than bringing in an extra life that she probably won't even be able to properly raise. A 1 month old baby would also be a zygote without a functioning brain or heart, which means that the baby is yet to take a breath or process a single thought. In this case, the two of them would only suffer in a more excruciating and painstakingly sad way of living if the abortion didn't go through- worst case scenario is that both  of them perish through a failed operation knowing that the woman would undergo the operation no matter what anyways, I'd rather uptake the burden of doing it myself.

In regards to my religious beliefs, I would like to clarify that I like to think that I'm religious to an extent but definitely an avid believer of God's existence and the laws and teachings taught by the Bible. On the other hand, this fact doesn't mean much to me in the long run because I would much rather disobey these teachings if I know that deep within me that what I'm doing could save someone's future. I also believe in the idea that God would be able to understand the risks and factors influencing such a hard decision and that it's something that I have to do from a realism viewpoint.

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As a devout catholic medical practitioner, I would usually support the patient's decision while understanding the situation of the 15 year old girl and the environment around her. This makes me lean more to the side which would give a better life for the patient because it would be her body that she would decide on. The baby is a part of her, that is a known fact, so she still has an early decision to make whether to keep it or not.

Firstly, I would include the status of the girl if she has the necessities to take care of her own baby and to raise them. If she already knew how parents work hard for their children, she would've made a decision why she would abort. Maybe she wasn't ready to become a parent and isn't capable yet of taking care of the child. She decided this so that the baby wouldn't have a hard life later on.

I would also worry about different factors of the girl. She is still continuing her education which can be delayed by having a child. This tends to lead to lack of guidance the baby would need from their parent. It is hard to study and take care of a baby at the same time which can also lead to not completing their education.

In the norm today, teenage parents usually go into social pressure. Others may judge them for having a child at an early age which affects their self esteem and confidence. Some parents or relatives would also let go of their children if they get pregnant which causes abandonment and misguidance of the child.

Lastly would be the financial situation of the child. Other factors might include the pair not being committed about their relationship or not being financially capable of raising a kid. The girl may have also been a victim of sexual assault. This gives the girl an unfair advantage of taking care of the child financially since babies need their support, needs and education as they grow up.

To conclude, I would lean in on supporting the 15 year old girl into abortion since it would be hard for them financially, educationally, personally and socially. As being a catholic medical practitioner, I have to find different ways into helping the future of each patient and include factors which may affect their lives.

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After being asked by a 15 year old girl to abort her 1 month old baby, I was placed in a difficult situation. As a devout Catholic, my religion does not agree with the idea of abortion and I personally do not agree with it. However, as a medical doctor, my job is to save people. Therefore, my final decision would be to assist the 15 year old with her abortion. I decided to help the kid, but it does not mean I support abortion. I did it because of 2 things.

Firstly, the kid is literally 15 years old. No child has to experience giving birth in the first place, that is messed up. A child should be focusing on playing with friends and living their childhood life to the fullest, even if they're poor. That reason of mine was because the person in question was a child. I would feel bad for the kid if she were to experience birth giving at such an early age. However, if it was an adult, I might change my decision depending on the reason for the woman's pregnancy.

Secondly, if I deny her request, she will find other doctors that might cost her life. Since I am a professional, I might as well do it for her sake.

In conclusion, I will do the abortion and kill the baby for the sake of the 15 year old kid. A kid should not experience pregnancy and birth giving at such an early age. She might get herself killed if she were to find other doctors who weren't professional.

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If I was a  devout catholic medical practitioner, I would help the girl out because If I refused to help many bad things might happen to her.

If I deny her request, she can find an unsafe abortion that causes her to lose her life, or affect her health. Abortion is only safe if done by a professional.

Morally I would support her, because she is in the poverty line, and she will not be able to support her child. This will cause the child to be born in a harsh environment that will not give it a proper living condition. It is also possible that the teenager got abused, or was assaulted, because she is soo young. She will also not be able to support the child because she can't have a job, at the age of 15.

In conclusion, Aborting the child can help the teenager with her future, and save the child from a harsh life. There are many moral reasons as well in why she wants to abort it.

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As a devout Catholic medical practitioner, I believe the best way through this troublesome occurrence is to assist in aborting the girl’s one month old baby/embryo even if the Catholic Church states that abortion is wrong. If I were to refuse, she would just ask others who are unsafe abortion practitioners so what is the point of refusing. The abortion will happen nonetheless so might as well take the safer option for the lives and future of the girl and her child. As a Catholic, I should be following the teachings of the Church but I also have my duties as a doctor. There are also other reasons why I would assist in the abortion.

The first one would be that the girl is still young and in poverty. If she were to go through with the pregnancy, both she and the child would have a difficult life and future. She would find it difficult just to provide for the child’s needs. The child may possibly grow up malnourished, uneducated, and more. Putting the child for adoption is a possibility, however, it could be difficult for the girl as she would have emotional and physical problems if she continued with the pregnancy and put her own child up for adoption.

The girl would also be too unaware of how to raise their child properly. While she can certainly ask for help from her parents, the responsibilities of taking care of the child while in an impoverished family would be too stressful for everyone and may also stop the girl from achieving things she would be able to in her childhood as she would be taking care of the baby. The girl would also be attending school at the age of 15 so it would be difficult for the parents of the girl to take care of the financial and educational needs of both the girl and her child.

Women also have the right to make decisions that involve their body. If the girl wants an abortion, then she should be allowed to have an abortion. Even as a Catholic, I should assist in the abortion and have her go through the safer option as it is my duty as a doctor to treat my patients to the best of my ability. I should set aside my beliefs for the future of the girl and her child.

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As a devout Catholic medical practitioner and a doctor, even if it's against my conscience I would assist my patient in aborting her baby if she's a hundred percent sure about this. It is my duty as doctor to treat my patient while considering what they want and ensuring their safety. But before aborting the baby, I would first explain consequences and procedure, if she's ready then I will help her abort her baby in the safest way.

Denying the request of the mother might lead to her getting help from non professionals to assist her in aborting the baby. Abortion will only be safe in the hands of a professional because they studied it and they do things by the book, non professionals use methods that are unsafe, we can say that they don't really want to help you, they just want your money.

In agreeing with assisting her, I also considered the state of the mother to lessen the toll on my conscience. The mother is only 15 years old and lives in poverty, she might got pregnant from unsafe sex or unwanted sex, it really saddens me that a child of that age is already engaged in sexual activities. The child might have been just a burden to the mother if she chose to keep it, given that they are already in poverty, just keeping the child alive will be hard.

I also considered what would happen to the baby if I refused, the baby could die even if I refuse but the mother could also be in danger, and if she chose to keep the baby, another human would suffer in poverty. It is not easy to take care of a baby and it will even harder if you don't have sufficient resources, and the environment that they are in could also threaten the life of her baby.

To sum it all up, I think it is best to assist her in aborting her baby because of the situations that might happen if I refused. If I refused, she might get help from quack doctors and the worst-case scenario is both the mother and baby will die. If she doesn't want to get help from others, she might keep the baby because of my decision, but keeping the baby will also be difficult because they are already having a hard time feeding themselves, what more if they had another member in their family. As a doctor I don't want anyone to die but rather than letting a child live a living hell, then I'll set aside my conscience and help the mother.

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As a devout catholic medical practitioner, I will support the girl’s choice. Even if my conscience is challenged, it is not my choice whether or not she keeps or aborts the baby. A 15 year old girl has so much to live for and raising a baby in these hard times will just make it harder for the baby to live. It is also my duty to respect and go on with her decision since it is my job to assist her. But before proceeding with the decision to abort the baby, I would like to present her options if she is willing to raise the child despite being in the poverty line. But if she has already made up her mind, then I will gladly assist her.

I am supporting her in aborting the baby for 2 reasons. Firstly, the girl is only 15 years old and is at the poverty line. She won’t have enough finances to support the baby since she is already struggling as it is. If she proceeds in having the baby, she will have to stop her schooling and work part time just to raise the baby. Most of her youth will be dedicated to raising and providing for her own child. At this point, she will have to retake the years that she missed in highschool if she ever has the time to do so.

Secondly, the baby will have a hard time. Without the mother providing the baby’s needs like vitamins, medicine, or any health care, the baby will have a higher chance of contracting diseases as a newborn. This will eventually be the cause of the baby’s death and for a 15 year old mother to take all that responsibility will break her heart and spirit. Babies need all the nutrition that they can get, especially newborn babies to strengthen their immune system.

To sum up all my points, I am willing to support the girl’s decision even though my conscience is telling me not to. Because both the girl and the baby will just have a hard time living. They may receive alternative help but that will only be temporary help. For a 15 year old girl who has not even reached adulthood, will have a hard time in getting accepted in part time work since they usually hire 18 years old and above and at least graduated highschool for some part time places. She will surely have a hard time raising the baby if there is no financial support provided for the both of them. The baby has its essential needs especially for newborns like vitamins and medicine. If it is not provided for the baby, the baby will surely have a hard time without those needs that may even lead to his/her death due to contracting any diseases as a newborn or because of the weak immune system.

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As a medical doctor who is also a Devout Catholic, this is a difficult choice to make due to many factors. My stance is that I will prefer not to assist in aborting the child since there are always ways that the 15-year-old mother and her baby can live comfortably even if they’re below the poverty line. However, if there are no other options or if I can’t convince her then I would assist in the abortion IF and ONLY IF there is no other option.

Firstly, I’ll discuss why I prefer not to assist in aborting the child. The reason is because it is still a living human being despite everything. It can also be argued that even though it is human, it is not a person which I will expound on more later. There are many alternatives to help the teenage mother and her baby to live for example if the teenage mother dies due to childbirth or abandons the baby, the baby can be put up for adoption. I can also adopt the baby provided that’s if I have the resources to raise the baby myself. Each human being has the potential to become anyone such as the president of a country, a famous actor, or even a scientist who will cure cancer but it is dependent on the upbringing of the child.

Secondly, I’ll discuss why I will assist in the abortion provided if I cannot persuade the teenage mother or if there is NO other option. To further explain what I said on the previous paragraph, a fetus can be argued that it is not a person since it is yet to develop a conscience, intelligence, reasoning, and other factors which is based on the gradient theory of personhood. Sure, the baby is a living human being but it is not a living person yet therefore it is just an empty shell with all the biological traits and functions of a person but without the conscience. In the end it can be argued that even though it is considered a person by some, it ultimately has less personhood than its mother and a human person. The mother’s life can also be considered important since there is always a chance that the mother can die due to childbirth,

To sum it all up, I prefer not to assist in aborting the child since there are always alternatives however I will assist in aborting IF and ONLY IF there is no other choice. Ultimately, it is up to the decision of the 15-year-old mother since it is her child and it is her body. I will respect whatever decision the mother makes in the end but I will still try to persuade and convince her to keep the baby provided that either the government or even myself can give enough support to her and her child.

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Being a Catholic medical practitioner I will of course have a hard time in deciding on what I will do to the 15 year old, but my priority is that my patient always comes first before anything. I would not allow my patient to bare a child that has an uncertain future and also having her go through unsafe abortion practitioners. It is a doctors duty to bring the patient to a safer side.

The way I see it is that I should see the situation as a whole first, knowing that my patient lives under poverty and has not enough resources to care for the child I will agree on aborting her child. Lets say that she bares the baby and has not enough funds to care for it she and the baby will have a hard time living their lives. This will pose a great threat to the mother and the child. It is better to abort the child in order to help the 15 year old live her life.

Another point I have is that the patient is only 15 years old, she has a life ahead of her and she has so much more to experience. This baby that she is carrying will prevent her from living a teenage life, not only that she is already suffering from poverty and raising another child will only burden her and give her a very hard time. Funds for raising a child is never cheap, you have to consider the child's food, hygiene, entertainment, education and many much more. Raising a child does not only require money, it also requires time and attention from her parents, knowing this the 15 year old could not possible have the time and the money to keep the baby afloat.

To add up to my stand I also strongly believe that no one has to go through unsure or unsafe medical practices. A doctor will always prioritize the patients safety out of everything. 1,000 people die each year due to complications in unsafe abortion and I would never allow that. I will do my best to bring my patient a better life for her to live.

I also believe as a Catholic medical practitioner that God wants me to help this 15 year old girl. God would want her to live a better life. It sounds cruel to take the life of the baby but all of this is for the greater good because if that baby is born only suffering awaits both mother and child. God would not want us to suffer, this is what I strongly believe in. He wants us live our lives to the fullest while being good in our hearts.

Another point that I have is that the Philippines has one of the most high cases of teenage pregnancy in the world, not only that our country is also largely overpopulated and if I let this slide I would only be adding more fuel to the fire and that is something I would never want to do. As a Catholic medical practitioner I will do my best in helping fight to this cause by possibly education teenagers and having talks with them about safely having sex and educating on how to use contraceptives and the consequences of having a child at an early age.

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The situation of being given the power to choose whether or not a human being in any case is an extremely touchy subject especially as a catholic. The problem lies in if the power over life and death should be given to anyone as if mimicking the power of God himself. However, my duty as a doctor is to protect my patient from any further harm.

First, the implications of raising a child are extremely taxing especially for a teenager. Many factors must be taken into account such as financial ability, familial stability, mental stability, and location. As it is given that the teenager currently lives under the poverty line, the risk of both the child and mother suffering the effects of an unsuitable environment is greatly increased in addition to the involvement of the teenager's family. The risk of the girl taking drastic measures is also a possibility that cannot be overlooked as not only is it a responsibility of my being as a doctor but also a responsibility to not let someone be exposed to a further risk of harm.

Second, a life full of suffering is a life I do not wish onto anyone. Whether or not letting a child be born into a situation in which I was fully aware of the consequences of is no doubt also my responsibility. Not only would the child be a financial strain on the family, their existence would also possibly foster negative opinions from the family itself as they could feel that they were dragged into the situation themselves without a choice and influence them to look towards a source to blame.

Lastly, I believe that an action born from the passion of true service to both God and his people is of a greater importance to following a scripture in the words of the said people to the letter. My beliefs and my love for God is not based solely on the bible but through the teachings that were embedded into me throughout the years of being a catholic. Despite the situation itself being born from irresponsibility of whichever party, I intend to be an agent of responsibility.

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As a medical doctor asked by a 15-year-old girl to assist her in aborting her 1-month baby, I would assist her decision in aborting her child, and here are my reasons. As a doctor, it is my duty and responsibility to know what is best for my patient, and in this case, it is right that I should help her in aborting her child.

The first reason why I am agreeing to help her in aborting her child is that she is not financially capable of supporting her child if ever she will push through in keeping her child. Since she is living under the poverty line, raising a baby will be difficult because it requires a lot of money. Due to the fact that she is still a teenager and does not have a job to support her child, expenses range from diapers, cribs, clothes, food, and medicines, and even as they grow older are all expensive. As a parent who lives under the poverty line and who can't afford the necessary things stated above, this might lead to a baby not getting the right treatment that they deserve.

The second reason is that raising a child is difficult given the situation that the mother is living under the poverty line and who is 15 years old. Money is not only a requirement in raising a child, you have to be physically, emotionally, and mentally prepared for whatever the situation you encounter while raising a child becuase there will be lots of ups and downs you will have to experience dealing with parenting or raising a child. These ups and downs that you will have to encounter and experience in raising a child are all the tantrums that the child will do, the sleepless nights that you have to encounter, and the child may have different moods that you need to look out for. It is really difficult to raise a child because teenagers who are at the age of 15 are still counted as pre-adolescents. This means that their minds are not fully developed as an adult. Teenagers who are at the age of 15 will be difficult in fitting the role of a mother or a parent.

The last reason is that refusing to abort the child might lead her to use different alternative measures of abortion. These alternative measures might lead her to cause health and life complications for the girl and even the baby. Instead of her resulting in these alternative measures of abortion, as a doctor, I will do everything in my power to successfully abort her baby without her resulting in any health and life problems. Having the proper execution of abortion allows the 15-year-old girl to not result in having and experiencing health problems. This will allow the 15-year-old girl to live normally as a teenager.

To sum it all up, even though I am a devout catholic medical doctor, I would ignore all religious beliefs about abortion and still, assist in aborting the 15 years old girls child because as a doctor it is my duty and responsibility to assist in doing the abortion of the 15-year-old girls' child because it is her body and we should respect her decision.

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My heart goes out to this Girl for the strain this would take for her as this is an immense responsibility to take. I'm a medical practitioner and it is my oath that I should treat the patient to the best of my ability, but before all is said and done I should take into consideration key factors that will lead to whether I will proceed with the procedure or not.

Before anything else as a medical practioner, there are a few things I must discuss with my patient before I say anything on the matter. I would talk to her first as a doctor. I'll discuss her beliefs on life and how she views her situation. After which I'll be elaborating the pros and cons as well go through step by step on what actions she should take if she would want to go with the procedure or not as to make the patient aware and make her choose carefully. After dealing with the patient in an objective way, I would then talk to her as a catholic. When I share my beliefs I do it for the patients sake as to consider and be open to what I believe, and maybe let her decision base on it.

We should mention the situation of our patient before anything. She's under the poverty line, and is carrying a baby. Being a devout catholic, it entails more of a more pro-life stance due to the commandments the bibles, and the like. I'm not one to fully agree on my decision based on scriptures but rather a combination of scriptures, law, and morality. Im pro-life with a few caveats: If the mother's life is in danger, and if The baby is born of rape. Any other reason I would feel is immoral and unjustified. The premise of why I belief so is because I know the mother had an array of choices before abortion. Abstinence, Motherhood, Adoption, and contraception are valid choices to prevent pregnancy I just don't agree with choosing to end a human life. In the case of our patient it is unclear whether she knew of the consequences or not of being pregnant, so I would like to make mention of both as to consider both sides. In the event she has knowledge about sexual intercouse, I'd rather not go through with the surgery, as it is her responsibilty and she should have taken into account of her actions. I believe being 15 years old is an age where one should be responsible for their actions as well as being accountable for them. In the event she does not have the knowledge or is not educated on the issue, although Im more hesitant to refuse the surgery I'd still not perform it based on my belief of the baby not causing harm to the mother as well as it being very well a human. I understand that our patient is under the poverty line and it's understandable to want to get rid of an extra life to cater to but again options like adoption exist. I am aware of the consequences of being such a young mother. It can force the mother to give up schooling to tend to her child, which is a most of the case with these kinds of situations. However adoption is possible and can be done. An arguement has been made about there are still many children that are abandoned but that's not within the grounds of pro-life or pro-choice but rather a reformation of the adoption system. I'm sure the parents would have a say in this decision making as they would be helping their child through this.

There are talking points made against pro-life and I'll only make mention of a core arguement as for brevity sakes. The idea that a person in this case a woman should have full autonomous control of her body. I am 100% in agreement with that statement but in terms of a life is where I disagree. The woman had many choices to begin with prior to having baby as to avoid abortion, and I dont see eye to eye when a decision in the expense of a life should exist. It's wrong to take the life of another human being based on convenience, as a human life is valuable since we create laws to protect, and we create meaning to them, so it wouldn't be fair to exempt them from these rights just because they are inside a woman. I understand that the baby might exhibit complications which would feel that taking the life of said baby would save him/her from immense suffering. That would be true but in response to that would those reasons be justified for the baby's life not worth being born? I know it would seem harsh but struggling is an aspect of everyone's life, we aren't in the position to take lives based on what they are going through. Even if the baby would die the moment it exits the womb I wouldn't want to deny its chance to live outside because that would mean taking the life of a human, which is immoral.

Interms of applying what I've learn in philosophy, I am aware of gradient theory of personhood, creates justifcation with how life is viewed especially interms of abortion, and death penalty. I believe this furthers my somewhat pro-life leaning stance as it views anyone human as already having a degree of personhood which encompases fetuses, and actions dictate the increase of decrease of a persons personhood.

This is a very heavy situation and it does weigh down on me to see a person go through so much even though she is so young, but ultimately I believe a life should still exist despite the struggles. Adoption, and motherhood, are options she can take instead of taking the life of a person. However this is my stance and in the end it is in her best interest to choose for herself and no matter what she chooses I'll help her every step of the way. Thank you

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Being placed in the position as a catholic doctor asked to perform an abortion, I would assist in it. Pushing through with the birth would not be beneficial for both the mother and child in the situation, and refusing to perform the operation would be against my responsibility as a doctor and the girl’s right to body autonomy.

Firstly, she is not financially capable enough to support the child properly. The situation states that the girl lives under the poverty line, but raising a baby requires so much money. Expenses range from strollers, cribs, diapers, and even more as they grow older. If a parent won’t be able to afford these required things, it may lead to the baby not getting the care and treatment it deserves

Following that the mother is 15, which is not a suitable age to be a parent. Money is not the only thing required to take care of a child. You also have to be emotionally present throughout their development and be ready to handle the ups and downs of parenthood. A child can also have constantly fluctuating moods that you would have to know how to deal with. It can also be exhausting constantly looking after another human being. If the woman is still an adolescent and developing human herself, it will be very difficult to fill the role of a parent. Not to mention they may not even have the knowledge to be a proper parent in the first place.

Another point is that refusing to perform the abortion will force the girl to use alternative measures of abortion. This may cause health and life complications for the girl. Instead of turning her away, as a doctor I could at least ensure that the abortion will be safe.

Lastly, my religion should not be strictly enforced on others. Following the church, the bible or the religious officials governing it without any thinking of my own isn’t loyalty or faith. It’s being blind to reason. Being a Christian is a belief of mine but that belief should not interfere with my duty as a doctor and medical professional. Even if I were to apply my religious beliefs here, the right thing to do would still be to help in carrying out the abortion as to show kindness and do my best to help the girl in need. The abortion is her decision and that should be respected as at the end of the day it is her body.

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As a devout Catholic medical practitioner, there are many things I must consider. It will be a battle between my beliefs and my duties. In the end, I will perform the operation. While my beliefs and faith is strong, there are some ideas that I disagree with because of my time studying and practicing medicine, and because of this, I will continue my duty to aid any patient to the fullest extent. Performing the operation will save the young girl from further physical, mental and financial complications that would be detrimental or even fatal to her, which I strongly believe is the responsible and truly faithful thing to do.

FIrstly, I would like to clarify some of my beliefs. The Catholic Church strongly goes against the idea of abortion. Because of this, I would also have some reservations against it. However, there are certain things that I disagree with too. The Catholic Church says that life begins at conception. It would be akin to murder if the mother aborted the baby. In my time as a student and as a practitioner of medicine, I’ve learned many facts. A zygote in the first 5 weeks of pregnancy does not have a functioning brain, spine or heart. It cannot feel, emote, or process what is happening to it. It is basically a clump of cells. If the pregnancy is still early, I am fully willing to perform this operation as at this point, it cannot be considered a human being.

My second point is is that by denying the young 15 year old girl her abortion, I am potentially dooming her. As a 15 year old, she is not physically equipped and fully developed yet to handle birth. Birthing is a very dangerous and taxing affair. It can be potentially fatal at her age. By having the baby with her financial situation, her and her child will suffer. This does not sit right with me. By denying her, she might consider opting to an unsafe abortion which is even MORE dangerous. By practicing medicine, I’ve sworn to help people. Letting her suffer is not something I will sleep well about. I believe that this is much more faithful than just leaving her to her own devices. Her life is simply more important. And she must have autonomy over it.

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After being asked by a 15-year-old who is pregnant, regarding an abortion procedure, I would first look at all the factors that are needed to be considered. First and foremost I am a devout Catholic medical practitioner and in my religion, we do not condone abortion. Although, if I do not continue with the procedure, she will most likely look for other unsafe methods to abort, additionally, if she doesn't abort, the child's future is also in jeopardy. As of now, it is only a matter of whether I can live with the decision I would make, and I believe going forward with abortion is the best option for both the girl and the baby.

In choosing to proceed with the abortion, I would be able to execute the whole procedure in a safer and with guaranteed success compared to when she decides to choose other unsafe alternatives to abort the baby. If I do decide not to assist her with the abortion, she would most likely turn to other procedures which are unsafe and are mostly unsuccessful due to different complications that proceed afterward. Sometimes a failed procedure of abortion even leads to a death of a person as there are a total of 1000 individuals that die each year due to failed abortions. I, as a Catholic medical practitioner who practices the Hippocratic Oath, can not have a person die due to a wrong decision that I have made. I would only need peace of mind about having assisted someone with an abortion, but it was the best and most practical decision for a patient.

Another factor that is to be considered in deciding on moving on with the abortion is the potential life of the child. The mother would still be 15 years old and she has no experience in becoming a mother. The girl has not yet even finished school, which begs the question of how would she keep the baby alive without a job and no stable source of income. The child would live a hard life and he/she might not even probably live that long due to the lack of proper care from the mother. Raising a child requires a person’s full devotion as it is a human being that would 100% depend on you and I believe that a 15-year-old girl under the poverty line is not someone that is ready for that responsibility. Every child deserves to have a fun and happy childhood filled with happy memories with their parents and in this situation, it is unlikely that the child would have that.

After deciding whether to proceed with the abortion, the procedure must be done as early as possible for the baby to feel nothing. As a doctor, I always care for my patients and do my best to make sure they feel no pain during any procedure I carry out with them. In this abortion, I would suggest the girl do the procedure as early as possible for the baby to feel no pain as babies are slowly developing their pain receptors in the first 6 weeks of the pregnancy.

One other way this situation could go is for the girl to have the baby and just give him/her out for adoption. Personally, I believe an adoption is never an option as it leaves the child in an unstable environment as they could move from different homes and be even given to a family that does not care for them. The child would also grow up thinking of the reason why his/her parents never wanted him/her in the first place. The child’s life would be filled with sadness and lack of love from a motherly and fatherly figure.

Being a medical practitioner that practices the Hippocratic Oath, I am obliged to do what is best for my patient no matter the situation. In this sort of problem the best decision that could be made is to proceed with the abortion as the girl is under the poverty line and is incapable of providing for the baby for him/her to have a good life, thus abortion is the most practical decision in this situation. With me handling the operation, the girl's life will be in good hands, and I can guarantee her safety and the success of the operation. Being a catholic and choosing to proceed with this operation would probably be the hardest decision to move on from as it is always against religion to kill a life, which is why the best suggestion I could possibly give the girl is to proceed with the operation as early as possible so that the baby would feel no pain during the operation, as that is the best thing we could at least do for the child. The child in the womb is still life but when choosing to avoid abortion there are a number of negative effects that would come back to the girl and her child, which is why proceeding with abortion is the best and most practical choice for both the child and the girl.

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The Topic of Abortion - Vicente, Gabby D. 

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The Topic of Abortion - Vicente, Gabby D. 

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Abortion has been one of the most controversial topics – to the point where it has been divided into two groups which are classified as “pro-life” and “pro-choice”. Both sides have their own valid arguments, such as for pro-life they claim that it is “morally wrong” and that it revokes the teachings of the Catholic Religion. While pro-choice asserts that forcing the mother to go through pregnancy greatly violates their right to bodily autonomy – and not only that, it also puts the well-being and the safety of the mother at risk. Before I move on to the scenario given for this performance task, we could first start off with what exactly is my view on abortion. So if one were to ask if I am in favor of this act, then I would say that I am not necessarily fond of it due to a number of reasons such as my religion, the law, and my beliefs. Now, I would like to CLARIFY that I am not declaring that the people who are for abortion have moraly wrong values, since if we view it from their perspective and their reasons; we could also see that they have their own points. Second, it doesn’t mean that if I am not for abortion then I am disregarding the bodily autonomy or the rights of women. If they decide that having an abortion is the best choice for them, then they could happily do so and I have no right to contradict their decision. It is just that if I were asked on what I thought of it personally, then I have my own ground on why I can’t meet face to face with abortion.

So moving on to the scenario given for this performance task, it was stated that I am a Devout Catholic medical practitioner who currently has a 15-year old girl from poverty as my client. This girl approached me to ask if I would be willing to assist her in aborting her 1 month old baby/embryo. Before I give my response, I would first contact the parent/s or guardian/s of the 15-year old girl. We can’t forget the fact that she is a MINOR, and she can’t just randomly go up to me and ask for an abortion WITHOUT THE CONSENT of the parent/guardian. According to the Guttmacher Institute (2022), the majority of states in the US require a parental involvement in a minor’s decision to have an abortion. Now, some may argue, “Well that is for the US, what about the Philippines?”. Well in our country, abortion in general is not even permitted by the law if you refer to RA 10354. As for my response to the request of the 15-year old girl (Assuming I was able to contact the parent/guardian and they approve of abortion), since I can’t hold any middle ground and that I have to stay in-line with my beliefs; I would politely decline her request. Now in declining her request, I will not leave her with just that since I would also give her a number of proposals to potentially persuade her. The key word here is “persuade”, I am not going to force my ideologies on her; I would just simply give a more wider view of the possibilities that could happen if she doesn’t push through with abortion. Now, I am aware that if I reject her and she still stays persistent in pushing through with abortion; then she could go to unsafe abortion practitioners – which could potentially lead to her death. So before I move on in giving more details on how I would handle this scenario, let me circulate back as to why I can’t perform abortion as a medical practitioner.

I have three main points – first, I stand by the teachings and values given by the Catholic Church and my Religion. Second, as a law-abiding citizen, it is my responsibility to uphold and follow the laws given by the government. Lastly, following my beliefs as an individual and as a medical practitioner, my duty is to save people’s lives – not to take away or prevent their lives. Now, I am well-aware of the renowned debate on whether an embryo/fetus can really be considered as a living human being. There are countless articles, debates, and posts online that discuss the perspective and views of a variety of people.

Since I need to reinforce my stance, then this is where I will insert my first point. As a Devout Catholic who grew up in a household with god-fearing people and who went to a private Catholic School (LSGH), the first reference that I would most likely use if I am unsure of a situation are the teachings of the Catholic Church. In an article by Pullella (2006), it was quoted that “Pope Benedict reaffirmed Catholic teaching that life begins at the moment of conception (fertilization), saying embryos are "sacred and inviolable" even before they become implanted in a mother's uterus”. Well during that time, some argued that the Pope lacked sufficient evidence and that his view on the matter is solely based on the teachings of the Catholic Religion. This is where a famous French geneticist by the name of Dr. Jerome LeJeune comes in. He provided objective evidence that the full human genetic code is present in the human embryo from the moment of sperm egg fusion (Respect Life University, 2018). Dr. LeJeune said “to accept the fact that after fertilization has taken place, a new human has come into being is no longer a matter of taste or of opinion. The human nature of the human being from conception to old age is not a metaphysical contention, it is plain experimental evidence” (Stetson, 2001). In an article by George (2005), he also mentioned that “the human embryo is not something different in kind from a human being, nor is it merely a "potential human being," whatever that might mean. Rather the human embryo is a human being in the embryonic stage”.

Now that I have discussed my first point and technically my third point, I will now move on to my second point. Now before I advance to my next argument, I am not claiming that the sources and claims that I gave disregards the views of the opposing side; since the other side may also have their own justifiable evidence – I just gave sources that were in-line with my stance. As for my second point, The Republic Act 10354: The Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012 states that “this act recognizes that abortion is illegal and punishable by law”. It was also mentioned in a report by Finer and Hussain (2013) that “The Revised Penal Code considers abortion to be a criminal offense punishable by up to six years in prison for doctors and midwives who perform abortions and by 2‒6 years in prison for women who undergo the procedure, regardless of the reason”. Now the fairness of the law is already its own respective topic, all I am saying is that as a medical practitioner I am obliged to follow this law. I am not the President of the Country, I am not a part of The Congress, I am not a Judge, and I am not a Lawyer, so I am not going to contradict the law since this is out of my power.

Now, we could finally go back to the situation earlier – as I mentioned, I need to get in touch with her parents or guardians first. In the previous performance task regarding “Juvenile Delinquency”, I stated that in situations like this; it is the responsibility of the parent or the guardian. I mean, where are they right now? Their daughter is literally experiencing an extremely life-changing/threatening situation. Even if she comes up with the argument that maybe she – quote on quote – “doesn’t have” a parent/guardian or they just don’t bother, then sadly that isn’t really a justifiable reason no matter how true it may be. Imagine if you go to a vaccination site and you are under 18, you can’t just go there and ask for a vaccination without the approval of a parent or guardian. Similar to this scenario – if I decided to assist in her abortion without the consent of the guardian nor them even being aware, then that is also another law that I am potentially violating. Some may ask, why exactly am I so wary of the law? To give further context on the gravity of the situation, let us say by this time I already have my own family where I have my own wife and kids. If I end up getting put into prison, then what is going to happen to the well-being of my family? Especially if I am the only one that is sustaining and working for my family. That alone is already in its own topic, anyone could enumerate various consequences that could potentially happen. Putting myself aside, if we refer to the Penal Code, then the 15-year old girl will also be held liable if caught. Going back to the previous performance task regarding juvenile delinquency, there were countless posts – including mine – mentioning that punishing a minor this young through the use of the law is going to greatly affect their future and their view of the world. I don’t want that to happen to her, especially with the severity of the situation that she is currently going through.

Let us now say that I got in touch with the parent/guardian, then it is time to give further context on the situation as well as to consult on their view/perspective on it. There are two outcomes, either they say yes (push through) or no (don’t push through). If they say no, then I am most definitely going to distance myself since it is up to them to decide on how they will handle the given matter. Maybe the least I could do is to give my own advice, or maybe recommend them to reliable therapists or psychologists. While if they do say yes, then this is when I am going to step up and give my opinion on how the situation could be handled. First of all, we need to keep in mind the negative factors if we don’t push through with abortion and go through with giving birth to the child instead:

1. How big of a responsibility is this going to be for a 15-year old “mother” who is most likely still going to school?

2. How could they sustain themselves and take care of the child due to their lack of funds for being in poverty?

3. How could we ensure that the child when born is going to have a sustainable life?

4. If given up for adoption, how do we know that the child is going to live in a safe environment?

5. What about the right and the say of the mother?

I am sure some may also ask, what about the funds for the operation of her giving birth? Well aside from referring her to a public hospital – assuming that I am an Ob-gyn doctor from a reputable hospital, then the least I could do is to exempt her and her family from paying for the said-operation.

Now, some articles online mentioned that some women ask for an abortion because going through the process of giving birth would put their life at risk due to certain health complications (in short not giving birth would save their lives). This is a good argument – HOWEVER, if we look back at the scenario given for this performance task; it never stated that the girl is going to “potentially lose her life” if she went through this process because of health complications. I know that we can’t overlook the fact that women don’t need to have “health complications” to have their life at risk when giving birth to a child. The process itself is already enough to put any potential mother at risk, especially if they were a teenager – however, since I am a certified medical practitioner then I can at least guarantee a safe delivery of the child. Again, assuming that I am an Ob-gyn doctor – I studied medicine for over 10 years, plus the experience that I have with my previous clients; so I should be more than credible to commence with the operation. If some still think that it is still “sketchy” about what is going to happen to the life of the girl, then just view it this way. I never studied how to perform or assist someone in having an abortion (due to it being illegal in the country, some med schools might not teach it), but why is it that her reaching out to me would mean it is more credible and “safer”? So, if I have some sort of credibility for a process that I haven’t really done at all as a medical practitioner, what more in assisting her with giving birth – which I have been probably doing for who knows how many years (wasn’t specified in the scenario).

So for the first scenario, let us say that I was able to come into an agreement with the 15-year old girl and her parent/s. Although before that, some may argue that I probably “violated” or forced her to push through with the process of giving birth. To start off, I did mention that this is the “first scenario”, meaning she as well as her parent/s did say YES out of their own will; if the 15-year old girl and her parent/s declines then I will elaborate on that in the second scenario. Next, we can’t forget that she is a minor – looking at the scenario it has only been a month, so honestly it is pretty justifiable in her own end for thinking of going through the process of abortion (basing off her age and social status as well); although how could we ensure that this wasn’t on impulse of her emotions. There are studies that show that individuals who are under the age of 16 – even 25 – don't have the rational part of their brain fully developed yet, and that teens normally process with the amygdala which is the emotional part (University of Rochester Medical Center, 2022). We also don’t know how she would be able to deal with this scenario post-abortion, while some may say she could seek out to therapists or psychologists – then the same can also be said if she went through the process of giving birth (reaching out to therapists/psychologists wise, not implying that both situations have the same gravity).

I will now move on to one of the more bigger factors on why abortion is justifiable for most inidividuals. This factor is – “What will happen to the child once they come out?” Like sure the mother agreed to push through with giving birth, but what now? This is where most pro-life individuals tend to faze and just say “put them up for adoption”. In some countries this may be favorable but here in the Philippines, not necessarily – due to either the lack of adoption centers (for people in poverty to reach out to) or the questionable environment provided. This is a good argument especially if we are talking about abortion cases in the Philppines in general. However, circulating back to the scenario given in the performance task, it doesn’t talk about the abortion cases in the entire country – it asks what I would do if a 15-year old girl approached me to assist her with abortion. Now, a reasonable argument that I saw from reading and watching a number of debates is that adoption is sometimes not the answer since a woman wants an abortion not because they don’t want to be a parent, but rather they never wanted to get pregnant in the first place. I am going to say it again, the first scenario implies that the 15-year old girl and the parent/s gave their consent and are doing this out of their own will (meaning both are willing to hear out the adoption scenario and that they were able to put this into consideration). Once again, if they refute the proposal then I will discuss it in the second scenario. Going back, putting up the child in an adoption center is not the only feasible way to have someone else take care of them. Now, I am not proposing that I would be the one who will take care of the child; but rather, since I am a doctor/medical practitioner, then I am bound to have a number of connections. Since I am an Ob-gyn, it won’t be unusual to say that I have at least encountered a patient that has trouble giving birth but truly desires to have a child. Now if I never encountered one, then there are other multiple Ob-gyn doctors in the hospital that I could contact and ask. If there is none again, then Ob-gyn doctors aren’t the only type of doctors in the hospital; I could also reach out to other types of doctors who have different specialties, or even nurses – or the other notable staff available in the hospital. I mean who knows, maybe one of them would even be willing to take care of the child themselves. Reaching out to all these individuals may sound somewhat naive, but we can’t say that it is impossible.

Now, someone could argue, “Well what if there is literally not one person who wants to adopt the child? What now? Would I just randomly throw them to a random adoption center?” Well, while the reputation of most adoption centers may be questionable in the country (claimed by some articles), one institution in particular that handles adoption is recognized and licensed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). They are known as the Kaisahang Buhay Foundation Inc. and they are a private and non-profit child and family welfare organization. The KBF also greatly values and upholds the RA 8552, which is “The Domestic Adoption Act of 1998”. So I would try to contact them or the DSWD, introduce the 15-year old girl and her parent/s – then let her state her reasons. While some may say who knows what is actually happening inside there; if you look at the institution they do look credible and they take the matter of adoption seriously. They also have their own website where they mention their history, the people that administer the institution, and notable sectors that have accredited them.

So this should give an answer to the 5 Questions I gave earlier. The first two are already taken care of, since the girl won’t have to worry about the expenses or the responsibility anymore (since someone else will take care of the child – assuming that the girl doesn’t want to take care of it since she was persistent in pushing through with abortion in the first place). The third question, while we can’t guarantee that the child will have an extremely successful future; we could guarantee that they would at least learn the proper morals and values that should help them throughout their life. For the fourth question, I gave individuals and an institution that could take the responsibility of looking out for the child and ensuring they grow up in a sustainable environment. Then for the last question –  since me, the 15-year old girl, and the parent have come to an agreeable conclusion; then we could confirm that this was out of their own will and I didn’t force nor violate the 15-year old girl and the parent/s’ perspective on the situation.

Now, despite the proposal and situations that I gave – if the 15-year old girl and her parent still refuses and heavily insists on going to an unsafe abortion practitioner, then this is when the second scenario would come in. As for my response to her and her parent/s, even after giving my reasons, and the proposals that I could do to help; then I have no other right but to accept her decision. At the end of the day, it is her life and it is her body, so I would need to know where my boundary is. If I decided to reinforce my ideologies on her, then I am not respecting her right to bodily autonomy anymore. If she thinks that is the best path for her, then I would let her be. Now, some would definitely say – “Isn’t that a bit too heartless? You are about to potentially watch her walk towards her death.” First off I’d like to clarify that I am not just simply “watching her walk towards her death”. If anything I was preventing her from leading to that path if we look back at the plans and proposals that I gave her. I gave potentially favorable situations that would benefit both her and the child and I was willing to take the initiative of supporting her in those scenarios. Depending on your view on the counter arguments as well, can’t the same be said for the child that is about to bear? While there may be articles that say an embryo/fetus is a living thing or some say that it is not, we are technically killing the child (in some context, not all.) or to phrase it better – we are stopping the child from “existing”. Without the intervention of anyone or anything, then the child is pretty much predestined to come out of the mother’s womb. So if we follow the concept of Essentialism, which is where everyone has a predetermined role or purpose; then we are intervening with the said purpose. Now some might ask, if it would prevent the child from being born into a life where it seems like nothing would go well for them, then is it really worth it to push through with the mother giving birth? This is a good argument if the medical practitioner simply brushed off the 15-year old girl with a “no”; but going back to my proposals earlier, I already gave scenarios and situations that would at least guarantee that the child will end up and grow up in a fairly sustainable environment. Again this is my view on it, I’ve saw some debates online regarding this topic and the pro-choice group most definitely have their points as well.

Moving on, while some could say “If you really wanted to prevent her from walking that path, then why did you not just perform and assist her in abortion?” Well I am pretty sure I mentioned earlier that first, I greatly uphold the teachings of the Catholic Church. Not only that, if ever we were caught, then the law would have to give pretty dire consequences. If the commandments or the teachings of the Church may not grant “concrete punishments”, well the law does. Again, as for how fair it is; this is out of my power and I am just following it as a law-abiding citizen. Second, since I respect her right then it should also be a given that my right should also be taken into consideration. Again as a medical practitioner, my role is to save lives – while it may sound contradicting since the 15-year old girl has a potential of dying for going to an unsafe abortion practitioner, I can’t force my views and beliefs in my religion to change on a whim. Me performing an abortion for her that is not out of my own will is not much different from me forcing her to go through pregancy that isn’t out of her own will. While some could argue, “well for her situation her life is on the line unlike yours”, well I just wanted to give further context on what it is to force one’s right opposed to their views/beliefs. It is not that I am stubborn, because we can’t forget that I did give effort to hand out scenarios and situations that would benefit both her and the child.

So for the second scenario, 4 out of the 5 questions are immediately crossed out since the mother didn’t push through with giving birth. However, one question is still valid and can still be answered, and this is the 5th Question. So, did I respect the right and say of the mother? Well, the answer to that is yes because even if I was willing to give effort on situations that could help her; I did not force my proposals and I wholeheartedly respected her decision.

So to conclude, I would first like to contact the parent/guardian to hear their take on the given scenario. We can’t overlook that getting their consent is extremely crucial, even if their response is in-line or not with my beliefs. Since not only is it an issue to not gather the consent of the parent, going through abortion itself could also potentially give pretty big consequences for me and the 15-year old girl since the act is not even permitted by the law in our country. Now, if ever the parent says that they are for the procedure (abortion), then I would politely decline and state my reasons such as my belief in the Chruch, following the law, and my values as a doctor/individual. I would tell them that sadly I can not assist the 15-year old girl in the act of abortion BUT I would be more than willing to help her if they (girl and parent/s) would open up the possibilites if she ends up bearing the child. Such as contacting individuals or reliable institutions who can take care of the baby. I would like to clarify once again that I am not implying that the people who are for abortion have wrong values and are disregarding the ethics of the Church. For them helping out the 15-year old girl fits their morals more since seeing the girl go to an unsafe abortion practitioner which could potentially lead to her death would greatly affect their conscience – and they have their own point and I greatly respect that. As for my stance, I stated my arguments and reasons as to why I can’t push through with abortion.

References:

Finer, L. and Hussain, R. (2013). Unintended Pregnancy and Unsafe Abortion in the Philippines: Context and Consequences. Guttmacher Institute. unintended-pregnancy-and-unsafe-abortion-philippines-context-and-consequences

George, R. (2005). A Distinct Human Organism. NPR. https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4857703

Gov PH (2022). Republic Act 10354: The Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012. Republic Of The Philippines: Philippine Commission on Women. republic-act-10354

Guttmacher Institute (2022). Parental Involvement in Minors’ Abortions. https://www.guttmacher.org/state-policy/explore/parental-involvement-minors-abortions

Kasaihang Buhay Foundation Incorporation (2022). About KBF. https://www.kbf.ph

Pullela, P. (2006). The Pope restates that life begins at conception. The Irish Times. https://www.irishtimes.com/news/pope-restates-life-begins-at-conception-1.1021381

Respect Life University (2018) Is the Embryo a Human Being? Healing the Culture. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exGd-tynMGE

Stetson, B. (2001) A ‘Choice’ That Defines Our Humanity. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-jan-22-me-15435-story.html

University of Rochester Medical Center (2022). Understanding the Teen Brain. https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=1&ContentID=3051

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As a medical doctor and a 15-year-old seeking assistance to abort her one-month-old child, I would abort if necessary, and here's why. In the Philippines, a medical doctor takes an oath that states, "I will use my power to help the sick to the best of my ability and judgment." I will refrain from causing harm or wrongdoing to any man as a result of it. I will not give anyone a fatal drought if asked, nor will I suggest such a thing." As a medical doctor, you should always first assist the patient's request and then explain what you will do for the patient's benefit.

Raising a newborn child is a difficult situation to be in when you're only 15 years old. Beginning with both of your parents, the two of you should be open to your parents about the fact that you are expecting a child. This is the most common reason why teenagers abort because of parental pressure, such as threats from the man's family, and because the teenage girl is 15 years old, it is a teenage pregnancy. Another example is that both of you who are in a relationship are under pressure because most teenagers panic when they discover they are pregnant, not on purpose.

Another reason teenagers abort is due to financial difficulties. Having a baby is not an easy situation for anyone under the age of 18, as it necessitates a certain amount of money in order for the baby to survive. "From birth to the legal age of 18, raising a child in the Philippines requires at least PHP10,000 per month or PHP 120,000 per year," according to moneymax.com.ph. As demonstrated above, it costs a lot of money to raise a child from birth to the legal age. A 15-year-old girl cannot financially support a child if she does not have the above-mentioned amount of money. From the hospital bill after giving birth to the equipment, vitamins, and clothing required for a baby, everything is very expensive. This is another reason why the majority of them abort.

Because the Philippines is a third-world country, most teenagers in the informal settlers sector are frequently the ones who have unwanted pregnancies, and abortion is illegal in the Philippines. However, the majority of them continue to refuse to abort their child because they believe it is a blessing, despite the fact that they are struggling financially to raise their own child. When they are depressed, the first thing they do is abandon their child or throw them away.

To summarize, medical doctors should always do what is best for their patients. Despite Catholic beliefs, abortion should be legal in our country because it leads to sin. A medical doctor, on the other hand, will consider whether it is better for the woman to continue her unwanted pregnancy or to abort the baby. The reasons stated above are the primary reasons for abortion; if the woman has the financial means to raise the child, respect the patient's decision. Whether the patient wants to abort or not, there should be no judgment; judging patients can harm their mental health and lead to depression.

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Despite being a devout Catholic medical practitioner, I won’t hesitate in the assistance of the abortion in these particular cases, even if it’s considered illegal in the country.

Raising a child is a difficult endeavor that demands both social and emotional dedication as well as financial resources that the child will need. If a person feels unprepared for a kid, the pregnancy is unwanted, and allowing a fetus to develop into a child is worse than abortion for the reason that child will grow up in an unsuitable and damaging environment, lacking the love, care, and stability that a child requires.

In addition, a fetus is neither a person nor a human being in legal or scientific terms, abortion cannot be linked to murder or the taking of a life. We have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These rights do not belong to the fetus until it is born. So abortion is not murder, and it does not violate a fetus' rights because it does not have any until it is born.

Prohibiting abortions does not prevent abortions; women would simply seek abortions through dangerous and illegal means, hence it is preferable to offer women with safe and legal abortion options for the reason that contraceptives such as birth control pills aren’t always available. These contraceptives require a doctor’s prescription and we must also consider those that are afraid to have consultation for the fear of being judged and many other personal reasons, hence, access to abortion is vital. One can write a law that allows abortions when medically necessary due to fetal or mother health concerns. However, considering that it is so politicized, it would be far from comprehensive to a few of the public’s population.

No one should have to justify their decision to terminate their pregnancy to anyone other than themselves, and a 15 year old’s wish to seek for my professional aid has my complete support.

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If I were to be a medical doctor asked by a teenager to assist in aborting her 1 month baby/ embryo I would, and I'll further elaborate why.

I would always want to do what is best for my patients. If it is her wish to get an abortion then I will assist her and respect her wish putting aside my own beliefs. I believe that a lot of people think that abortion is bad but it’s not. It is important to always consider the factors on why a person wants to get an abortion. Like the 15 year girl, since she is only 15 years old, she is still young and she still has so much to live for. If she chooses to pursue a child she is not ready for, she probably won’t be able to raise her child properly. Another factor is that she lives under the poverty line, so she won’t have the funds to buy all the needs of the child and give the child a comfortable life.

As a Catholic, abortion is considered a sin but it wouldn’t feel right if I don’t respect the patient’s wish and circumstance. If I were to follow my Catholic beliefs and turn the patient away, who knows what the patient would do. They might put themselves at risk trying to get rid of the baby or keep the baby that they won’t be able to raise right. That is why as a dedicated Catholic medical practitioner, I will always respect my patients wishes and do what I believe is beneficial.

I believe that abortion should be considered legal here in the Philippines because there are a lot of unwanted pregnancies and cases wherein women try to abort a baby in an unsafe manner. Additionally, having a child that one is not ready for will just become a burden to both the parents and the child with unguaranteed stability and raising of the child.

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This is a topic that is simple yet complicated. As we all know a child has a soul, so performing the abortion is killing the child. I cant say Im pro and anti abortion as I am not a woman and that is not for me to decide, however as a doctor, we are always committed to our patient’s safety. In this case performing the abortion is my patient’s safety.

If I won’t perform the abortion, my patient will have it dome anyway in a more delicate way like going to doctors not even trained for the job. Of course I will try to let her know of the possibilities of not killing the child like sending the child for adoption and other options. For adoption, the possibilities for the child are endless. He child could be a professional, a star, or a leader. All it takes is someone 21 years old and 16 years older than the child to be adopted by someone. This gives the child a fighting chance to make it good in life. She can also be supported by HB907, a law that helps solo parents who have low income, and the child is to be given financial and basic needs up to the age of 21. But if all else leads to abortion, then I will have to do it. If my patient will go to an untrained doctor, chances are both of them will die, wherein if I do it, then one of them lives. I can’t really stand the fact that 8 am the one that killed a supposed to be living human, but I can’t stand it more to have to patients die because of saying no. As a Catholic, this is against my faith, but as a human I can’t let two people die.

Sources:

https://www.google.com.ph/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwj7zejhnIP3AhVTC94KHV5hBmgQFnoECAkQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.philstar.com%2Flifestyle%2Fhealth-and-family%2F2021%2F02%2F22%2F2079627%2Fhope-solo-parents-new-bill-provides-more-benefits-and-financial-aid&usg=AOvVaw2O5CSGsf8cEi95doBiOwGS

https://www.google.com.ph/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwi1sZ3KnYP3AhUiGqYKHQKCAW4QFnoECB4QAw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kbf.ph%2Fservices%2Fadoption%2F&usg=AOvVaw3uYcUv_3EK6ceoBiz4oILM

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My old post was stupid, so I made a new one.

One month (approximately 30.4167 days) equates to 4.345242857 weeks.

Miller (2016) wrote an article focusing on the developmental stages of a fetus. They interviewed Dr. Anne Davis. Dr. Davis started off by explaining keratinocytes, which are receptors that allow the body to detect any stimuli that may induce stress or danger to the organism, form “between 7.5 and 15 weeks of pregnancy”. These time estimates may vary depending on the body part being formed. Keratinocytes around the mouth may take a shorter time to develop when compared to keratinocytes developing in the abdomen.

The most integral part of an organism (with a brain) is the neuron. These cells transmit signals from the spinal cord to the brain. According to the article, studies show that an estimate of 19 weeks is needed for these neurons to start their journey through the nervous system, and an additional 4 to 5 weeks is needed for these neurons to actually travel to a part of the brain that enables organisms to perceive pain.

An organism is not complete without its different organs and organ systems. These need to fully develop before a true sense of ‘aliveness’, or maturity of some sort. This process will take around 30 weeks to complete.

Another point that one needs to be wary of is that these time estimates are not guaranteed. They simply estimate that was garnered from numerous studies. Fetuses may experience these changes earlier or later than others. Davis says, “there isn't any science to suggest that those pathways for pain are complete around the 20th week”, and notes that many of these changes are undetectable until the fetus develops further, as these processes have yet to happen. These statements further cover this topic in ambiguity.

But let’s take these claims with a grain of salt. If this embryo was truly in the gestational age of exactly or approximately one month, many of the different developments and processes I mentioned are sure to not have happened yet, with a significant allowance seen in the development of keratinocytes (7.5-15 wks). Showing that the embryo can either barely or not even feel anything at all, and just has a physical shape, and a beating heart to circulate blood in itself. With this perspective, I would allow the abortion to take place.

But the situation is if I was a CHRISTIAN medical professional. So let’s glance at the ethical side of things. The Ethics of Abortion (2022) uses the perspective of Mary Warren, “On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion”, 1973. Warren utilizes the anti-abortion argument of,

1) It is wrong to kill innocent human beings.

2) Fetuses are innocent human beings.

3) Therefore, it is wrong to kill fetuses.

Warren also makes a list of what makes an organism ‘human’

1.  Consciousness (of objects and events external and/or internal to the being), and in particular the capacity to feel pain;

2.  Reasoning (the developed capacity to solve new and relatively complex problems);

3.  Self-motivated activity (activity which is relatively independent of genetic or direct external control).

4.  The capacity to communicate, messages with an indefinite number of possible contents on indefinitely many possible topics.

5.  The presence of self-concepts and self-awareness.

An embryo is devoid of any consciousness, reasoning, self-motivated activity (it can only move from genetic or direct external control), communication, and any sort of self-concept and self-awareness.

By this logic, an embryo is not human by moral standards.

But if we looked at an embryo from a biological perspective, things would be much different.

The definition of a human being according to Warren is “being a member of the biological species homo sapien”.

Embryos are part of the homo sapien species, just like their mother, father, etc. Therefore following this logic, an embryo is a human being.

Being a Christian, I would consider God as someone to interfere with this process, but if he were looking at me, I honestly wouldn’t care. This young girl was subject to unsafe sex as didn’t know how to protect herself. Additionally, as a medical practitioner, I must do my job regardless of the circumstances only if the patient wants the operation done.

Following the definitions I mentioned from Warren, I am killing an innocent human being. This is something God will definitely punish me for as I even disobeyed the fifth commandment. But if more young girls are going to have unwanted pregnancies all because of an unseen, unproven entity, then this God can send me to hell and I would keep performing abortions the same way I wake up and eat breakfast. I will continue with the operation. After this, I will educate the young girl on how to participate in safe sex so she will never have to go through this again.

Being a mother at that young age and considering her other circumstances like poverty, raising a child will be a challenge, and no teenager has to experience that so soon. So I feel this abortion would greatly benefit her.

Miller, S. G. (2016). Do Fetuses Feel Pain? What the Science Says. Live Science. https://www.livescience.com/54774-fetal-pain-anesthesia.html

The Ethics of Abortion. (2022). Csus.edu. https://www.csus.edu/indiv/g/gaskilld/ethics/abortion.htm

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Despite being a devout Catholic, I would decide to perform the abortion professionally myself given my status as an educated medical practitioner capable of this feat. Before I begin, I would like to state that being sworn into two different groups or positions of contradicting values regarding this matter makes this an extremely difficult situation to assess. Having been baptized into Catholicism means that one is inclined to follow and apply Catholic teachings into their life, and having taken the Hippocratic Oath means that one is also legally obliged to follow it and perform what’s best for the girl. This means that in this situation, it all boils down to what actions your morals will permit you to take and how you weigh the outcomes of both possible decisions. Will I reject my Catholic faith for this one decision in my life to save the life of another? Well, yes. I will.

Firstly, I would perform the abortion because it is what is best for the 15-year-old girl. Having come to me personally without her parents, it is safe to assume that they either are not aware of this or have no desire to help her raise this child. Being in poverty, there is a higher chance of her not being able to safely birth and raise this child. Moreover, she is a child without any experience raising children and could possibly make mistakes that could endanger the child’s safety. Being in poverty could limit access to sufficient education on parenting as well as sufficient funds to support the child and all its needs. Her having this child could endanger both of their lives and make it much more difficult to continue living given their financial situation. Having an abortion does not at all go against the modern Hippocratic Oath anyways. Performing the abortion would be keeping the best interests and safety of the girl at heart. There are a lot of mental health issues that may surface should the girl be forced to give birth to the unwanted child and raise it alone. There is also a chance that if I decline her request, she may also seek out other methods of abortion that are unsafe. Due to abortion being illegal in the country, there is a high amount of unsafe abortions being performed, frequently leading to health complications post-procedure and possibly even death in the process. It would be optimal to perform the abortion myself as I am a trained medical professional. Rather than declining her request and risking the girl performing unsafe abortion procedures herself, I would be more at ease if I were to perform the abortion safely myself. Aside from this, pregnancy is a dangerous process to go through, and many women, despite having access to sufficient medical aid, have lost their lives to pregnancy and birth due to different kinds of complications. Being pregnant is something life-threatening and must be a risk willing to be taken if continued.

Some people say that why not just complete the pregnancy and give birth to the child, then put them up for adoption. Good solution, right? Well, this solution completely misses the point that some women take an abortion not primarily because they wouldn't want to care for the child but rather they do not want to continue the pregnancy and risk their lives giving birth. We have to remember that again, pregnancy and birth-giving are possibly life-threatening processes that could endanger the mother's life. Bodily autonomy states that women are allowed the right to choose what to do with their bodies, and if carrying a pregnancy to term is something they want to terminate, if it is possible, then they have every right to find a means to do it.

Another point I would like to make is that at this stage of pregnancy (1 month in this scenario), the embryo has yet to develop the ability to feel emotions or pain as the nervous system still has not developed enough, and as such, the baby would not feel anything. The cortex, a part of the brain involved in pain perception is not fully developed until the 26th week of pregnancy, and most abortions are performed before this stage. Other reactions by the fetus at this stage to what would be considered painful stimuli are merely bodily reflexes and cannot be considered as conscious responses to pain. Even so, the baby still should not be considered as a separate being during any stage of the pregnancy as it cannot survive independently from its mother. It is sort of leeching off of the mother to survive at this point and will continue to cause changes in its mother whether desired or not unless an abortion is performed. This being has still not attained its independence or personhood as it cannot think and feel at this point. Only after its birth will it be considered as a living human person. Therefore, abortion is not murder of a person but rather preventing a person from coming into existence. Having this unwanted child born would only cause more problems for the girl, who could even abandon the child at some point. The Philippines already has a lack of orphanages, and most of the ones that exist are understaffed. The Philippines also actually has an abandoned child problem, with adoptions rates still not reaching the amount of children still growing up alone. I would not want for another child to experience this problem.

Either way, it is not my decision to make. However this girl is to raise her child is not up to me, but what I do know is that she has decided that she does not want it and has come to me for professional assistance on this matter. Seeing as I am the most fit to perform the abortion procedure without threat to her life as of the moment, I will decide to go against my religion to do what is best for this girl. I believe that women must have a choice in what to do with their bodies. Pregnancy, as mentioned earlier, is a life-threatening process to go through, and they must have the choice of whether or not to go through with it. Unfortunately, the country’s laws do not agree. Rather than having the possibility of her seeking out other unsafe methods of abortion and potentially dying from them on my conscience, I will choose to help her and perform the procedure using my medical skills and knowledge in this field.

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In the Philippines, the argument becomes vaguer because a law that is truly barbarous that makes it illegal to have an abortion under any circumstances, which is backwards given that the law's purpose is to protect life, but also contradicts itself by not allowing mothers to obtain an abortion if their pregnancy poses a risk of death.

As a medical practitioner, I feel that my patient's health is my top priority, regardless of the situation. My patient is a 15-year-old girl, not a child, so I'll put her first, especially since they've also asked for help aborting her month-old baby. Despite the fact that abortion is forbidden in my religion and against the law, the patient's life is still important. As a result, even though it goes against my beliefs, I will surely assist them in aborting the child.

Many people, especially those influenced by religion, see abortion as the killing or murder of an already living being. I completely see their point of view, yet I would still go ahead and conduct the abortion. Abortion is something I believe should be legalized.

In this case, a 15-year-old girl from a poor family is pregnant. If I decline, I know the patient will seek out unsafe doctors who perform abortions because she believes it is the only way to get rid of the embryo, and we don't want that to happen because 1,000 people die each year as a result of unsafe abortion complications.

To conclude, there are a variety of reasons why women seek abortions, the majority of which are situations over which they have no control. It is claimed in the case that because the child is born into poverty, they are more likely to face a variety of problems, and in this scenario, I agree that abortion is necessary.

I wouldn't want to see young people/teenagers raising a child in such circumstances because having a child at an early age, especially if the parents are poor, increases the likelihood that they will not be able to live freely because getting out of their current situation will involve a lot of suffering.

Not only will the child be forced to endure a life of sorrow and discomfort as a result of this, but the parent will also be forced to accept responsibility for everything, which will have a negative impact on her life.

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Given the situation of a 15 year old, 1 month pregnant girl who lives under the poverty line seeking the abortion of her baby, as a dedicated catholic medical practitioner, I would opt for assisting the girl with her abortion. I am of the opinion that my personal beliefs should not affect the health and safety of my patients. This is the case especially since the would-be mother herself is consenting to the procedure.

Although deciding on whether or not one should get an abortion can be a simple matter for some people, this is a more complex case.

First off, the carrier of the embryo is only 15 years old. The 15 year old girl would probably only be a ninth-grader, still going through high school. Someone so young still has their entire life to look forward to. Giving someone still navigating their way through life and still dealing with academics no choice but to birth a child will definitely hold the girl back from plenty of experiences and opportunities. Assuming the girl does indeed attend classes in school, it’d be extra difficult to find someone willing to give the child all the care and attention needed considering the child’s grandparents would be working to support their family. It would be incredibly stressful and taxing for the mother to balance all these responsibilities thrown on her.

Next up, the potential mother lives below the poverty line. Not having the financial stability to properly support the baby would only make it harder for all parties involved: the baby, the young mother, and the young mother’s parents. In the Philippines, the minimum budget needed for a baby’s bare essentials will already cost up to 60,000 PHP (BusinessWorld, 2021). This case is even more severe if indeed the potential mother is still studying in school.

If I were to deny the girl the abortion procedure, It is more than likely that the girl would opt for more unsafe alternatives in hopes of getting rid of the child. This would put the mother at risk as well, with the possibility of losing both the girl and the child in the process.

In the event that the abortion was not pushed through, we also have to consider the child’s well being and future. Considering all the previous points of coming from a lower-income family and a teenage mom, the kid might not end up growing up in a suitable, stable, and stable environment.

Bodily autonomy refers to women's right to make independent decisions involving their bodies and ranging from reproductive health, when to have sex and when to have children (INQUIERER.NET, 2021). It so up to the mother to decide what to do with her body. Declining the girl from her right to control whether or not she has children is something I am far more uncomfortable with than aborting the baby.

As a Christian, my personal and biased views should impede a woman’s free will to decide whether or not they want an abortion. My first duty as a medical practitioner is to help others and save lives, aiding the potential mother in a relatively more safe professional environment is in my eyes far more favorable than allowing her to go elsewhere for a riskier or more unsafe abortion process.

BusinessWorld (2021). Expecting a newborn? Filipino parents need P60k for the basics — iPrice. Retrieved from https://www.bworldonline.com/expecting-a-newborn-filipino-parents-need-p60k-for-the-basics-iprice/

INQUIERER.NET (2021), EXPLAINER: Your body, your choice: Why is bodily autonomy so important?. Retrieved from https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1434418/explainer-your-body-your-choice-why-is-bodily-autonomy-so-important

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I may be a Christian, and my religion doesn’t agree with abortion, but I am a medical practitioner, and it is not my call to make whether she will have an abortion or not. Especially given that the patient has already made up her mind.

I see two potential scenarios that may unfold in this situation.

If ever the pregnancy is pushing through and she can’t get an abortion, she cannot guarantee the baby will have a proper life. According to DepEd, teenage pregnancies just perpetuate the never-ending cycle of poverty. The patient is 15– maybe in her sophomore year of high school. If the pregnancy isn’t terminated, the patient could end up dropping out of high school; statistics show that only about 40% of teenage moms finish high school. The mother would end up struggling to provide for the baby, and hence, we cannot assure that the baby would end up living a happy, healthy life. It’s much crueler to let the poor mother raise a child that she didn’t even want.

If we refuse to administer the abortion, the patient will end up finding other places to get an abortion. She could end up getting an abortion at an unsafe place. The World Health Organization says that 45% of induced abortions are unsafe. It is one of the leading causes of maternal deaths in women.

If I’m too uncomfortable with giving her an abortion, I’m aware that I do have the right to turn her away. I would turn her away with the guarantee that we have another practitioner that is willing to administer it instead. Personally, though, I would respect her wishes. It’s not my place to meddle with her business.

With that aside, I believe that abortion is not morally wrong.

Abortion has been a long topic of debate in modern times. The primary questions asked are: Is abortion morally wrong?; and should abortion be legal or illegal? According to a Guttmarcher report, in 2008, there were 1.9 million unintended pregnancies in the Philippines, resulting in mothers having unplanned births and unsafe abortions. The stigmatization of abortions in the country has led to mothers, mostly the poor who have more children than usual, to resort to unsafe abortions which are unsanitary and endanger their lives. An estimated 560,000 abortions in 2008 and 610,000 abortions in 2012 occurred. Regardless of its legality and morality, people will still be having abortions, so might as well grant them the resources and access to safe abortions. It will be happening anyway whether legalized or not.

According to literature/experiments/research performed over the years by developmental neuroscientists, the cortex must be sufficiently formed in order to feel/experience pain, so the thalamocortical tracts in the cortex are primarily responsible for the sensation of pain, which is not developed until 24 weeks of gestation, and abortions are usually carried out before this. Babies do have pain receptors, but they don’t really experience pain, so a pain receptor may respond, but it doesn’t mean anything because it doesn’t have the amount of cognition necessary to understand or register that there is pain.

Pushing through with the pregnancy would also be violating the mother’s right to bodily autonomy. This is something that is practiced in medicine a lot. Bodily autonomy is defined as someone’s right to their own bodies. If someone needed a spare kidney and you were the only eligible match, they still could not force you to give up your kidney, even if it will cost someone their life. Likewise, the baby can’t use the mother’s uterus if the mother doesn’t want it. Living things have a right to life, but that doesn’t supersede the mother’s right to her own body.

People would say that adoption is an option for the baby. In an ideal world, yes it is. However, in the Philippines, we already have a problem. We have 1.8 abandoned children already in the adoption system. If this is what the alternative is to abortion here in the Philippines, we should at least improve the adoption system. There is a lack of funding in the adoption system, and there are already so many children in there

All things considered, adoption does not answer the problem that abortion does. Adoption addresses the problem of not wanting to be the parent, and abortion addresses not wanting to be pregnant in the first place.

Overall, it’s her choice anyway whether she wants to keep the baby or not, and I must respect her choice.

Attached are the developmental neuroscience studies I mentioned

Derbyshire, S. W. (2006). Can fetuses feel pain?. Bmj, 332(7546), 909-912.

Lloyd-Thomas, A. R., & Fitzgerald, M. (1996). For Debate: Reflex responses do not necessarily signify pain. Bmj, 313(7060), 797-798.

Chicago