Comments | cf_debate: Rights of parents or slippery slope?

commanderd in cf_debate

Rights of parents or slippery slope?

Mar 12, 2010 19:06

For debate and discussion:

Court grants parents permission to sterilise their 11 year old.

Is it the parent's choice, or is this a slippery slope toward taking rights away?

Comments 15

merlyn4401 March 12 2010, 19:10:50 UTC

I think in this case, the child obviously has no hope of living a "normal life" and having the hysterectomy will very much improve her quality of life.

I like that it has to go through a court and/or hospital ethics board - it's not like it's done willy-nilly. I think it's reasonable.

(The comment has been removed)

jamesalesto March 12 2010, 19:32:00 UTC

This.

IMHO, things like this should only happen if it is going to improve the quality of life. Plus, I'm sure it'd be handled on a case by case basis.

westly_roanoke March 12 2010, 19:34:45 UTC

That's awful...I feel so sorry for the family that you've spoken of. You'd think that if they're making other medical decisions for her, if she's incapable of making those kinds of decisions herself.

There's always quality of life to consider. I think each case like this should be carefully considered by trained medical professionals and the parents should be well informed of all options. But I do think that the rights of other people do need to be protected. Hence, a board of unbiased doctors to help the parents and caretakers provide the best quality of life possible.

cottonmanifesto March 12 2010, 19:17:26 UTC

they're not doing it for fun.

kerakera_onna March 12 2010, 19:32:24 UTC

Couldn't have said it better.

hardtogetover March 12 2010, 20:29:07 UTC

Yup.

maladaptive March 12 2010, 21:10:16 UTC

Yeah, the article's title is seriously misleading. They're not sterilizing her, they're doing a procedure for her health that has a side-effect of sterilizing her.

draiochta_faol March 12 2010, 19:36:50 UTC

I think it was the right thing to do. She will never have a normal life and if having her period is causing more problems, then a hysterectomy is the right thing to do. They are only interested in doing what is best for her quality of life and if getting a hysterectomy is going to improve it even minutely, then I applaud those parents for doing what they did.

panteraonca March 12 2010, 19:43:35 UTC

I can't see this as a "slippery slope" because in cases like this, there's a clear medical need. As long as that is required, I'm not all that worried.

Also, if she goes into convulsions every time she menstruates, why the hell would she want to keep her uterus anyway? I'm sorry, but I have a terrible mental image of this girl at nineteen, screaming in frustration at another smugly backwards doctor who won't give her a hysterectomy because she's "too young".