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Science and Babies Private Decisions, Public Dilemmas (1990) / Chapter Skim
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8. Areas for Policy Develoment
Pages 158-162

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From page 158...
... Without a public body to consider all points of view in the emotionally charged realm of sexuality and reproduction and to develop a factual and analytic basis for enlightened public policy making, it is extremely difficult for a nation to formulate policy. Although a number of issues concerning reproductive health have been resolved, new ones materialize as society evolves and more is learned about reproduction and the importance of improving the health 158
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From page 159...
... In the United States the task of developing a consensus on reproductive health issues has proved much more difficult, partly because of this country's diversity and its unwillingness to discuss sexually related issues frankly. Commissions and boards have been mandated, but conflicting opinions and a reluctance to become involved in such controversial issues made even the process of appointing members difficult.
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From page 160...
... An IOM study revealed maternity care to be a complicated network of publicly and privately funded services that is "flawed, fragmented, and overly complex." According to the IOM report, the best way to reverse current declines in the use of prenatal care would be a complete transformation of the present nonsystem. The IOM committee strongly denounced the present practice of making incremental .
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From page 161...
... The high rates of abortion and teenage pregnancy in the United States indicate the need for more accessible, user-oriented family planning services and education. Many men and women, particularly younger ones, are badly informed about birth control and about the true effectiveness and health risks of the currently available contraceptive methods.
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From page 162...
... As other countries have demonstrated, a national public commission or board is an effective tool for analyzing broad ethical issues and for formulating public policy. Using this approach, nations have successfully developed laws governing ethically sensitive research and have established criteria for licensing specific research projects.
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Key Terms

  • prenatal care
  • family planning
  • maternity care
  • ethically sensitive
  • public education

  • biomedical ethics
  • sexual activity
  • low birthweight
  • ethical issues
  • ethics board

  • sexually transmitted
  • birth control
  • transmitted diseases
  • sensitive research
  • ethics advisory

  • federal oversight
  • increased medical
  • national effort
  • broad ethical
  • recent scientific

  • formulating public
  • genes suspected
  • funded services
  • charter expired
  • gamete intrafallopian

  • ones materialize
  • licensing body
  • researchers estimate
  • educate public
  • vitro fertilization


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