Offensive Defensive Medicine: The Ethics of Digoxin Injections to the Partial Abortion Ban
Publication Date
2014
Document Type
Article
Organizational Units
Sturm College of Law
Keywords
Abortion, Reproductive ethics, Conflict of duties, Bioethics, Physician-patient relationship, Malpractice
Abstract
Since the Supreme Court upheld the partial birth abortion ban in 2007, more U.S. abortion providers have begun performing intraamniotic digoxin injections prior to uterine dilation and evacuations. These injections can cause medical harm to abortion patients. Our objective is to perform an in-depth bioethical analysis of this procedure, which is performed mainly for the provider’s legal benefit despite potential medical consequences for the patient.
Recommended Citation
Colleen Denny, Govind Persad & Elena Gates, Offensive Defensive Medicine: The Ethics of Digoxin Injection to the Partial Abortion Ban, 90 Contraception 304 (2014).