BIOTHETICS PRELIMINARY TOPICS (Compiled: dpgomez, RN)
The Filipino Doctor on Family Planning:
LAWS & ETHICS
RED MANGULABNAN, MD, DFM
Asst Professor-D, DCFM, FEU-NRMF
Pre-lecture Assessment:
A 23/F Gravida-3, Para-3 came for post-natal consultation
at the health center and asks the physician to administer an
IUD to her, for which she got the idea from her neighbor
friend.
Questions:
1. Should the physician encourage family planning as a
whole?
2. Should the physician administer the IUD?
• Reproductive Health
– Definition: state of complete physical, mental and social well-
being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, in all
matters relating to the reproductive system and to its functions
and processes (WHO)
– Purpose: from Population Control to Welfare of Women and
Children
• The duty of the physician to the patient (to maintain health)
Family Planning Methods – Natural
• Periodic Abstinence (i.e., calendar)
• Billings (i.e., cervical- mucus)
• Basal Body Temperature
• Lactational Amenorrhea
•ISSUE: Basis for decision-making in Family Planning – Is it
legal? – Is it ethical?
• Its Legislative History:
• Redundancy to the Magna Carta for Women 2009
• Demographic studies showing the unmet needs of women
– House Bill 4244 in Jan 2011 by Cong. Edcel Lagman
(Albay)
• Senate Bill 2685 in June 2011 by Sen. Pia Cayetano
• Passed December 19, 2012 to be implemented January
2013 – Implementation hampered by religious groups
• “TRO” issued by the Supreme Court (Sereno)
• PRRD’s SONA requesting to lift TRO in July 2017
• EO No.12 to fully implement RPRH Act in November
2017
Body: the RPRH Act of 2012
• Guiding Principles based on IRR:
1. The right of spouses to found a family in accordance with
their religious convictions and the demands of responsible
parenthood;
2. The right of children to assistance, including proper care
and nutrition, and special protection from all forms of
neglect, abuse, cruelty, exploitation, and other conditions
prejudicial to their development;
3. The right of the family to a family living wage and
income; and
4. The right of families or family associations to participate
in the planning and implementation of policies and
programs that affect them.
1
Body: the RPRH Act of 2012
• Its Contents: Guiding Principles based on IRR:
Ø The State likewise guarantees universal access to
medically-safe, non-abortifacient, effective, legal,
affordable, and quality reproductive health care services,
methods, devices, supplies which do not prevent the
implantation of a fertilized ovum as determined by the
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and relevant
information and education thereon according to the
priority needs of women, children and other
underprivileged sectors, giving preferential access to
those identified through the National Household
Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) and
other government measures of identifying
marginalization, who shall be voluntary beneficiaries of
reproductive health care, services and supplies for free.
Ø The State shall eradicate discriminatory practices,
laws and policies that infringe on a person’s exercise of
reproductive health rights.
Ø The State shall also promote openness to
life; Provided, That parents bring forth to the world only
those children whom they can raise in a truly humane
way.
From the DOH website, the RPRH core principles are:
1. Responsible Parenthood which means that each family
has the right and duty to determine the desired number
of children they might have and when they might have
them. And beyond responsible parenthood is Responsible
Parenting which is the proper upbringing and
education of children so that they grow up to be upright,
productive and civic-minded citizens.
2. Respect for Life. The 1987 Constitution states that the
government protects the sanctity of life. Abortion is NOT
a FP method:
3. Birth Spacing refers to interval between pregnancies
(which is ideally 3 years). It enables women to recover
their health improves women's potential to be more
productive and to realize their personal aspirations and
allows more time to care for children and spouse/husband,
and;
4. Informed Choice that is upholding and ensuring the rights
of couples to determine the number and spacing of their
children according to their life's aspirations and reminding
couples that planning size of their families have a direct
bearing on the quality of their children's and their own
lives.
• Its Contents: Pertinent Definition of Terms
1. Abortifacient refers to any drug or device that primarily
induces abortion or the destruction of a fetus inside the
mother’s womb or the prevention of the fertilized ovum to
reach and be implanted in the mother’s womb upon
determination of the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA).
2. Natural Family Planning (NFP) refers to a variety of
modern methods used to plan or prevent pregnancy based
on identifying the woman’s fertility cycle.
3. Responsible parenthood (RP) refers to the will and ability
of a parent to respond to the needs and aspirations of the
BIOTHETICS PRELIMINARY TOPICS (Compiled: dpgomez, RN)
family and children. It is likewise a shared responsibility
between parents to determine and achieve the desired
number of children, spacing and timing of their children
according to their own family life aspirations, taking into
account psychological preparedness, health status,
sociocultural and economic concerns consistent with their
religious convictions.
Body: the RPRH Act of 2012
Vision: Empowered men and women living healthy, productive
and fulfilling lives and exercising the right to regulate their own
fertility through legally and acceptable family planning
services.
Mission: The DOH in partnership with LGUs, NGOs, the
private sectors and communities ensures the availability of FP
information and services to men and women who need them.
Program Goals: To provide universal access to FP
information, education and services whenever and wherever
these are needed.
• Service Delivery Standards
§ LGUs to Ensure Provision of RPRH
§ Availability of Information and Services –
Informed Choice and Volunteerism
§ Access to Family Planning
Ø Fertility Awareness
Ø IPCC
Ø Modern FP Methods
Ø Infertility Services
Ø Referral Services
§ Access to FP Information and Services
§ Access of Minors to FP Services
§ Care for Victim-Survivors of Gender-based Violence
• Service Delivery Standards
ü Care for Victim-Survivors of Gender-based Violence
ü Sexual and Reproductive Health Programs for PWDs
ü Responding to Unmet Needs and Gaps of Care
ü Provision of Life-saving Drugs in Maternal
Emergencies
ü Policies on Administration of Life-Saving Drugs
ü Certification of Midwives and Nurses
ü Integrating Reproductive Health Care into the Health
Professional Curriculum
ü Maternal and Newborn Care in Crisis
2
• The Natural Law
1. Beneficence
2. Non-maleficence
3. Justice
4. Autonomy
• The Natural Law (Thomas Aquinas)
Ø The Nature of the Sexual Encounter
1. Unitive
2. Procreative (openness to it)
3. Under matrimony
§ The arguments of the Catholic Church against Artificial
Family Planning
Body: Synthesis:
o Will the physician encourage family planning?
o What family planning method/s will the physician
recommend?
Ø IS IT LEGAL? What does the PH Law tell the physician?
Ø IS IT ETHICAL? What does Natural Law say?
Conclusions
ü Legal aspects on Reproductive Health
ü Ethical issues on Reproductive Health
Post-Lecture Assessment 1 of 2
A 38/M and 43/F couple, married for 5 years already, came
to a private clinic; asking for a referral to a facility
conducting in-vitro fertilization.
What should the physician do?
Post-Lecture Assessment 2 of 2
A 15/F student of a prominent Catholic university, only
child of a showbiz family, came to a private clinic bringing
a “positive” pregnancy test result.
• Crying, she eventually admits that she was drunk-raped
by a 39/M politician wo had a wife and 3 kids.
• Her words included: “Ayaw ko ng gulo (pertaining to her
family, her school, his family, his political career).
Kailangan mawala po itong bata.”

Physicians’ violations against It

(Ignorance of the Law does not exempt)
1. Knowingly withhold information and restrict
dissemination; or intentionally provide incorrect
information regarding the programs and services on RH
2. Refuse to perform legal and medically-safe RH
procedures on the ground of lack of consent/ authorization
from spouse or parent
3. Refuse to extend quality health care services and
information on account of the marital status, gender, age,
religious convictions, personal circumstances or nature of
work; with respect to the objector’s beliefs, proper referral
was immediately done, the patient is not in an emergency.
Body: the Bioethical Issues

BIOTHETICS PRELIMINARY TOPICS (Compiled: dpgomez, RN) 3
HUMAN REPRODUCTION AND GENETIC § Many benefits of Biotechnology and Biomedicine 

ENGINEERING § By raising the quality of life, they have made it possible for
Poly T. Chua-Chan, MD us to take significant steps beyond what even our parents
and grandparents dreamed of.
Eugenics § BUT many bioethical problems are raised that
- Derived from the Greek word eugenesia meaning “to contemporary man has to resolve.
engender well” 
 § Moral Issues of Genetic Engineering
- Positive Eugenics and Negative Eugenics 

1. Positive Eugenics 
 Genetic Engineering
- Refers to the body of knowledge that aims to bring about - Gene: genea “breed, kind” and genesis “descent, origin” 

the birth healthy offspring 
 - Genetics - the science that deals with the interaction of
- Aims to modify an individual’s hereditary characteristics the genes in producing similarities and differences
by reworking the environmental and social factors that between 
individuals related by descent. 

influence one’s development from the very moment of - Engineering - the art in the design, construction, and
conception à primarily hygienic operation 
of rocks, bridges, buildings, etc. 

- Improved living and working conditions 
 - The notion of genetic engineering is thus the introduction
- Better nutrition 
 of 
human design (order or arrangement) into the
- Protection of mother during pregnancy, delivery and formation of new genetic combinations in order to produce

puerperium 
 the desired results. 

- Fit lifestyle - Strictly speaking, GE means direct intervention in the
2. Negative Eugenics 
 genetic make-up of a living being, the replacement of
- Aims to check the conception of defective offspring and genes or the addition of new genes to the genetic ‘code’
the consequent transmission of infectious diseases or or ‘blueprint’ of an organism. 

hereditary defects 
 - “Genetic manipulation” 

- Special focus – disorders that are strictly hereditary - In other words, GE involves the whole process of altering
(albinism, alkaptonuria, Duchene’s Infantile Muscular genes, 
the building blocks of life, in order to achieve
Dystrophy, Pseudo- hypertrophic dystrophy, neurosis, either a radically, 
or a completely new, human being. 

manic-depressive psychosis, schizophrenia, and epilepsy) - According to its advocates, GE is more human than the

biological process, insofar as it is well-planned and
Ethical Standpoint 
 
systematically organized. 

- Positive Eugenics – LICIT 
 - The biological process is left to chance, accident, and to
- Negative Eugenics: Prohibition of marriage, Sterilization the 
blind forces of nature; whereas GE is willed and

& Abortion 
 scientifically designed by man for therapeutic and eugenic
Chromosomes, DNA, and Genes 
 reasons.
§ Every living being is composed of cells. 

§ The nucleus of a single cell contains chromosomes. 
 TYPES OF GENETIC INTERVENTION
§ Every human being usually has 23 pairs of 46 single Therapeutic or Constructive or Creative

chromosomes 
 Corrective
§ A sperm and an ovum has 23 chromosomes each. Their - To repair defects - To develop new
fusion 
in fertilization results in a zygote with 46 that produce certain characteristics in
illnesses the organism by
chromosomes. 

- To improve the altering the
§ Of the 46 chromosomes, 44 are “carriers of character”
human phenotype subject’s hereditary
and 2 
determine an individual’s sex. genetic content
§ Genes are made of DNA, the hereditary substance of living
cells. 
 Genetic Engineering Includes: 

§ DNA technologists have developed a set of techniques that
v Genetic testing


make it possible to cut the long, threadlike molecules of v Genetic screening
DNA into pieces with the aid of certain enzymes, to v In vitro fertilization (IVF)
recombine the resulting segments of DNA with the DNA
v Cloning

of a suitable vector or carrier, and to reinsert the
v Sex selection
recombinant into an appropriate host cell to propagate and
v Organ transplant

possibly to function. 

§ Thus the crux of recombinant DNA technology lies in the v Prenatal diagnosis

ability of the technologist to manipulate, splice, slice, and v Genetic control
replace the basic structural compounds of DNA and their v Embryo transfer

direct genetic change. 
 v Sperm and zygote banking
§ This is why Genetic Engineering is often called human v Surrogacy 

intervention in the biological processes. 


BIOTHETICS PRELIMINARY TOPICS (Compiled: dpgomez, RN)
Genetic Testing 
 outside the mother’s womb (unless such experimentation is
Ø Biochemical studies or chromosomal analysis for
purposes of detecting genetically-caused diseases
Ø Such testing is currently employed to detect the carriers
of recessive disorders
Ø e.g. Tay-Sach’s disease which leads to the gradual
debilitation and death of afflicted infants before the age
of five.
Ø In the medical context, GT may be utilized for eugenic
purposes. Individuals who may be found to be “carriers”
of recessive conditions or any genetically-related
disorders may opt for sterilization or other forms of
contraception in order to prevent the transmission of their
genes and the birth of children with recessive disorders.
Ø In this light, the wisdom of undergoing medical
examination for chromosomal analysis before marriage
is highly recommended, especially for suspected carriers
of genetically- related diseases.
Prenatal Diagnosis 
 fibrosis, 
hemophilia, sickle cell anemia, PKU)
1. Amniocentesis – malformation or deformity of the fetus
in utero can be detected as early as 5th month or 16th
week of pregnancy, onwards.
A sample of amniotic fluid is extracted from the sac that
surrounds the fetus. This fluid, containing fetal cells, is
subjected to laboratory chromosomal analysis wherein
genetic disorders can be detected
2. Fetoscope - used to visualize various parts of the fetus,
thereby detecting anatomical abnormalities in the
developing fetus. 
Other techniques for drawing samples
of fetal blood from the placenta have also been tested. 

In the medical context, if the diagnosis reveals that the fetus
is afflicted with any inborn error of metabolism, chromosomal
abnormalities and variants, and polygenic conditions (e.g.
spina bifida, anencephaly) the parents may use these data to
decide whether or not to abort the fetus. 

3. If Prenatal Diagnosis is directed towards its safeguarding
or healing as an individual - Counseling 
 h.
- Prepare the expectant parents of a special child
4. If done with the thought of possibly inducing an abortion
- Malformation of a hereditary illness = death sentence 
 subsequently at a later time (e.g. the birth of
- Violation of the unborn child’s right-to-life 
 malformed babies)
- An abuse of the prior rights and duties of the spouses 

4
directly therapeutic) 

5. To use human embryos or fetuses as the object or
instrument of experimentation
- Crime against their dignity


- Human beings having a right to the same respect that is

due to the child already born and to every human person
Genetic Screening 

a. This procedure goes hand-in-hand with genetic
testing. 

b. Its main purpose is to screen, choose or select (a.k.a
genetic selection) the genes for proper detection of
any genetic disease 
and other chromosomal
activities/malformations. 

c. Individuals who are clinically well can be screened
to determine whether they are carriers of recessive
defective genes of certain genetic diseases (e.g. cystic


d. Should both parents be found to be carriers of a
specific 
defective gene, there is a one-in-four chance
that their children 
will have the disease. 

e. Geneticists estimate that every individual carries from
4-8 
defective genes of some kind. 
However, since
individuals usually have different kinds of bad genes,
the chance of procreating children with a genetic
disorder is quite small. Nevertheless, it does happen.
So, it is a worthy human goal to prevent such disease
from occurring.
f. Advocates of mass genetic screening are trying to
achieve this goal. In the medical context, genetic
screening can be used to obtain information for the
treatment of genetic disorders and to help prospective
parents make responsible decisions concerning child-
bearing.
g. What justifies mass genetic screening is the purpose
of obtaining information that can lead to the
prevention of procreating abnormal children.
It is argued that one has a moral duty NOT to cause
suffering and/or injury to others by his actions, even
if the harmful effects of such action will happen

No medically scientific end, however noble it may be, can

in any way justify experimentation on living human
embryos or fetuses, whether viable or not, either inside or

BIOTHETICS PRELIMINARY TOPICS (Compiled: dpgomez, RN) 5
REMEMBER: Ethical Standpoint
- Consent of the parents for the procedure 1. Its manipulative, artificial action threatens to convert the
- Adequately informed that the methods employed human act of procreation into a mere technique devoid of
safeguard the life and integrity of the embryo and interpersonal relations 

the mother. 2. “Improper” artificial insemination – dilatation of the
- Without subjecting them to disproportionate risks uterine cervix and the collection of semen found in the
vaginal recess and its reintroduction into the uterus so
that sexual union can result in pregnancy. 

ETHICAL STANDPOINT: 3. Morally acceptable: If the technical means facilitate the
- Interventions to the human embryo are: conjugal act or help it to reach its natural objectives 

LICIT NO LICIT Embryo Transfer (ET)
(ILLICIT) • ET Process:

1. Respect the life and 1. Destruction of the Ø By laparoscopy, an ovum is removed from the woman’s
integrity of the human embryo ovary
human embryo 2. Abortion 
 Ø Fertilized in vitro with the husband’s spermatozoaà

2. Do not expose the 3. Non-therapeutic Ø Embryo is cultured and then “transferred” to the uterine

mutation of the cavity for burrowing

embryo to dis-
Ø ET is related to ovum donor treatment– “removing an
proportionate risks. genetic code 
 ovum from a female donor, fertilizing it in vitro with a
3. Aims to cure it husband’s semen, and returning it to his wife, whose eggs
4. To improve its health are either defective, genetically abnormal, damaged by
and chances of disease, or absent”
Ø Male counterpart – Artificial insemination by donor
survival 

(AID) Transcervical Balloon Tuboplasty (TBT)
Ø A new technique to clear blocked fallopian tubes
• Easier
and cheaper than IVF and ET

Ø Effective alternative for infertile women who want to
Genetic Intervention
become pregnant without surgery

Ø Use a tiny balloon to clear obstructions in the oviduct
- Genetic intervention, genetic control, genetic therapy,
genetic surgery, gene-splicing TBT Process:
- By these techniques, can now “intervene” in biological - Thread a series of three tubes called catheters through the
processes cervix and uterus and then into the portion of the fallopian
tube closest to the uterus
- Can now “control” bad or defective gene that will most
- When the third catheter reaches the blockage, a balloon at
likely produce deformed or retarded children the end is inflated to stretch the fallopian tube and dislodge
- Can “cure” (therapy), “slice” (surgery), “splice” the obstruction
(recombine) and “repair” and “redesign” (engineering) - Outpatient procedure under local anesthesia
- Recombinant DNA technique
- Might lead to the - Can go home within an hour
- Cheaper and less traumatic than surgery

understanding and control of the molecular processes
- Almost fool-proof 
Surrogate Motherhood (SM)
involved in such diseases as cancer, diabetes, and
- “Surrogate” means substitute, Latin “surrogatus”
hemophilia.
- Might prevent certain birth defects like meaning “in place of another” 

Spina Bifida
- Might pave for the development of new - Surrogacy is a biomedical technique whereby a fertilized
breeds of plants that are able to utilize nitrogen from the air ovum is implanted into the uterus of another woman who
and thus require no fertilizer
 will carry the baby to term either as a favor or for a fee. 

- Modified bacteria may be used as chemical factories to - Financial arrangement – “womb for hire”, “rent a womb”
or “uterus for rent” business 

produce biological materials of medical importance– e.g.
- In such cases, a woman who can produce normal ova, but
insulin and other drugs that are very costly to synthesize whose health would be endangered by pregnancy, can have
chemically her ovum fertilized by her husband’s semen either in vitro
or in vivo and after three to five days of growth the embryo
Artificial Fertilization could be transferred to the uterus of a healthy woman who,
Artificial Insemination either out of friendship or for payment, would carry it to
a) Homologous (spermatocyte comes from husband) term. 

b) Heterologous (spermatocyte comes from a donor other - After delivery, per agreement, she would give the baby to

than the husband) 
 the couple who are the genetic parents of the child. 

- For the most part, surrogacy has fulfilled the dreams of
parenthood for infertile persons. 


BIOTHETICS PRELIMINARY TOPICS (Compiled: dpgomez, RN) 6
- But in some 5 to 10 % of such cases, the process ends in - Technically known as “cryo-preservation” 

legal wranglings and heartbreak for one or both sides. 

Surrogacy 
 Sperm Banking Justifications:
- Contrary to the unity of marriage and to the dignity of the 1) To preserve the “seeds” of endangered animal species
procreation of the human person among the lower animals; 

- Morally illicit: If the procedure were to replace conjugal 2) To overcome infertility among humans (e.g. AI purposes); 

act 3) To serve as “fertility insurance” for men who wish to
undergo vasectomy, while hoping to retain their fertility 
for
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) future use; 

- Fertilization in vitro means fertilization “within a glass” 4) To use sperm deposits for research on genetic diseases 
and

“laboratory fertilization”, “test-tube fertilization” 

reproductive processes; 

- Performed in a petri dish or test tube
5) To further studies about sex selection for eugenic reasons 

- Conception outside the womb by artificial means,
Procreation without sex 
& “Baby making without love
Zygote Banking 

making” 

- Cryopreservation of fertilized eggs 

ZB Process: 

IVF Process: 

Ø By laparoscopy or laparotomy, oocytes are first extracted
Ø Using laparoscopy, maturing ova are extracted from
from the female ovary à The eggs are then fertilized by
female’s ovary à The ovum is then placed in a petri dish
sperm in vitro
(test tube), where it is fertilized by the husband’s semen
à After several days of growth in the test tube, the Ø Frozen at a low temperature 

fertilized ovum or embryo is implanted in the wife’s Ø Frozen zygotes can then be withdrawn from the banks to
uterus à 
The embryo burrows itself in the be implanted into the female uterus for routine gestation
and birth 

endometrium.
A normal pregnancy can be carried to
term 

Sperm and Zygote Banking (SZB) 

Ø In the medical context, the IVF technique is done to
Ø Women who shun sexual relations with men (or do not
overcome female sterility due to obstruction of the
want to have husbands due to some traumatic experiences
fallopian tubes, which prevent the ovum from passing
in a broken marriage) but who want to conceive children
through the oviduct where it meets the sperm and then
through artificial insemination or embryo transfer usually
descends to the uterus for 
burrowing. 

avail themselves of the services of zygote banking and/or
Ø Surgical removal of the blockage is very difficult, or in
sperm banking. 

most 
cases, impossible. 

Ø Patients would be able to select gender, race, and hair and
Ø Surgical extraction of ova from the ovaries, however, is
eye color of their offspring. 


possible– hence, in vitro fertilization takes place. 

Ø In England, servicing a growing number of women who
Ø No person outside the marriage is involved in the product
are seeking a “virgin birth” for their children 

of fertilization because the generative cells come from the
Ø A patient, who typically has never had sex with a male,

husband and wife themselves. 

is to receive twice-monthly insemination using donor
semen from a sperm bank until she becomes pregnant. 

Other Significant Goals:
1. To observe and evaluate the process of fertilization in
SZB Justifications:

vitro, which is not possible in the case of fertilization in
1) A couple in which both partners are carriers of

utero; 
 
complementary recessive genes could prevent the birth of a
2. To test the effectiveness of anti-fertility agents; 
 potentially afflicted child by substituting their sperm or egg
3. To evaluate the fertilization of the ova of patients with with those of a donor known to be free of such genes or simply

infertility problems 
 requesting a defective-free zygote 

4. To assess the structural and biochemical normality of the 2) Superior human beings could be bred by mating eggs and

conceptus in patients who have had repeated sperm from donors possessing certain desirable traits; frozen

spontaneous abortions; 
 sperm and eggs would permit a high degree pf selectivity
5. To better understand the mechanisms needed for genetic among donors to assure such preferred matching 


studies; 
 3) This preferential breeding of so-called superior individuals
6. To advance understanding of normal and abnormal cell should be done to improve the genetic stock of the human race;

growth and differentiation; 
 and 

7. To increase knowledge that is useful in contraceptive 4) Individuals or sperm donors who are found to be carriers of

technology and in alleviation of genetic disorders and defective genes or genetically-related diseases should be
other deformities 
 advised to undergo vasectomy, therapeutic or contraceptive
sterilization. 

Sperm Banking
- Freezing and preservation of sperm at low temperature 
 Sex Selection

BIOTHETICS PRELIMINARY TOPICS (Compiled: dpgomez, RN) 7
Ø Sex control, sex determination, sex predetermination and - A stem cell is a cell whose job in the body is not yet
sex pre-selection determined 

Ø Refers to means by which the sex of an offspring can be - Every single cell in the body “stems” from this type of cell
chosen • Natural strategies (have genetic and 

physiological bases) - Stem cells wait for signals to tell them what to become 

Ø Dr. Abelina Barrion:
 - When stem cells receive signals, it begins to differentiate
- Consulting the Chinese calendar
 or 
gradually change into its destined cell type. 

- Monitoring one’s menstrual cycle - The signal tells the stem cell to turn on certain genes and
- Monitoring female orgasm
 make 
new proteins. 

- Vaginal rinsing
 - These new proteins will make the stem cell to look and act
- Timing semen ejaculation like 
the cell type it is supposed to become. 

- By the time it finishes differentiating, it will have stopped
Sex Selection: PRECONCEPTION METHOD
 
dividing too. 

Ø Preconception research aims to provide a means whereby - The differentiation process helps cells specialize so they
one could control which type of sperm fertilized the
can do 
their different jobs. 

ovum. - One proposed approach: androsperm are less
dense and smaller than gynosperm, hence a diaphragm
Types of Stem Cells:
could be inserted in the vagina to filter out the
1. Early Embryonic stem cells
gynosperm, thereby allowing only the androsperm to
- The first step in human development occurs when
reach the egg in the oviduct.
 newly fertilized egg or zygote begins to divide,
Ø A different method would require a special treatment of
producing a group of cells called embryo. 

male semen followed by artificial insemination. By
TOTIPOTENT – (total potential) stem cell that can
means of one or a combination of four treatments –
become ANY kind of cell in the body. Toti – “whole”
centrifugation, electrophoresis, agglutination, or albumin
or “total”
isolation, a medical expert would separate the
2. Blastocyst Embryonic stem cells
androsperm and gynosperm, then artificially inseminate
- Seven days after fertilization, the embryo forms a
the female with the preferred sperm.
hollow ball-like structure called a Blastocyst. 

Sex Selection: POSTCONCEPTION METHOD - Embryos in the blastocyst stage contain 2 types of
ü One method involves the removal of the blastocyst cells:
i. Embryonic stem cells form the inner cell
from 
the mother, determining its sex and then re-
mass à fetus
implanting it 
in the uterus if it is of the desired sex. 
 ii. Trophoblast cells à placenta
ü Another method is based on amniocentesis as early as PLURIPOTENT (more potential), having the ability to

12th week of pregnancy or during 1st trimester (84 
become ALMOST ANY kind of cell in the body. 
Pluri –
days 
after conception). 
 “more” or “most” 

ü If it is found out hat the sex of the fetus is contrary to 3. Fetal stem cells
what 
the parents prefer, they have the option to abort. - After the eight week of development, the embryo is
Sex Selection Justifications: 
 
referred to as the fetus. By this time, it has developed
1) Primary justification: control of diseases (sex-linked and 
into a human-like form. 


sex-influenced – hemophilia, typically affecting males who - Responsible for the initial development of all

inherit it through the mother; Parkinson’s Disease) 
 tissues 
before birth.
2) Promotion of happiness for the parents who would be - PLURIPOTENT 


happier because an offspring would be the preferred sex; 
 4. Umbilical Cord stem cells
3) And the offspring would be happier because they would 
not - Blood from the umbilical cord contains stem cells
feel they were of an “unwanted sex” 
 that 
are genetically identical to the newborn child. 

4) Secondary justification– contemplated reduction of - MULTIPOTENT (much potential) they can

birthrate, it would reduce the total number of births because 
differentiate into only a limited range of cell types. 

parents would not have to beget additional children if only to - Multi – “many” or “much” 

have one or more of a particular sex preference 
 5. Adult stem cells
5) Third justification- accumulation of scientific knowledge - “Adult” is misleading, because infants and children
about human reproduction. In the absence of any negative 
also have them. 

consequences of such research, it is maintained that further - These stem cells reside in already-developed tissues,
knowledge of sex selection is justifiable. 
 
directing their growth and maintenance throughout
6) Fourth justification – preventive of abortion. Many 
life. 

parents who prefer a son to a daughter, resort to aborting the
- MULTIPOTENT 

fetus if it is found to be female through the processes of
- Common locations: nerve, blood, muscle, skin, bones
amniocentesis and abdominal ultrasound. 

6. Induced Pluripotent stem cells 

Stem Cell

BIOTHETICS PRELIMINARY TOPICS (Compiled: dpgomez, RN) 8
Advantages and Favorable Consequences of Genetic harm and to seek the good for one’s offspring.
Engineering - Example: An individual who is a carrier of a certain
genetically- linked disease, has the moral duty to
Medical interventions and manipulative reproduction would prevent the birth of a child afflicted with that kind of
heighten the intelligence quotient of the race and provide ailment or deformity.
solutions to some solutions to some particularly difficult and - When, upon discovering that one is a carrier of
intractable human problems. - Joseph Fletcher defective genes one still does not take steps to prevent
the conception of babies, one is not only remiss of
Fletcher’s View one’s moral duty, but in fact would seem to be
intentionally conceiving malformed children.
- Man is a marker and a selector and a designer, and the more
- By all indications, such an act of remissness or
rationally contrived and deliberate any thing is, the more
omission seems to be inhuman and unchristian, for in
human it is. 

that case one has failed to perform his moral concern
- Moreover, laboratory reproduction is radically human
for the well-being of the other.
compared to conception by ordinary hetero-sexual
- Would you like every Filipino mother to beget a
intercourse. 

severely deformed child?
- It is willed, chosen, purposed and controlled, and surely
- If not, then as a mother who has been found to be a
these are among the traits that distinguish homo sapiens
carrier of defective genes, it is your moral duty to
from others 
in the animal genus. 

prevent the conception of a gravely abnormal fetus
or child. Such a moral decision would be in keeping
Questions to be Answered
with the spirit of the categorical imperative.
- Would genetic engineering produce the most benefits,
comfort, and happiness at the least cost of pain or
unhappiness? 

- Would there be a greater balance of happiness and progress
over unhappiness and unprogress for all individuals
affected? 


Utilitarian Ethics

- Inclined to give affirmative response to these question

Genetic intervention is good insofar as it tends to
promote 
happiness and scientific progress;

- And much more so because it produces the greatest
benefits 
for the whole human race

According to Utilitarian Moralists: 


- Accumulation of scientific knowledge that biomedical

specialists would be able to gain from genetic
engineering and/or reproductive technologies (e.g.
genetic testing, recombinant DNA, cloning, surrogacy,
AI, ET, IVF, etc.) will be beneficial, useful,
advantageous, and profitable to the understanding of
human reproduction, which would pave the way for
the discovery of medical drugs for fetal disorders and
children’s diseases.

Kantian Ethical Principle

- One would be confronted with the moral duty to avoid

BIOTHETICS PRELIMINARY TOPICS (Compiled: dpgomez, RN) 9
ETHICS OF ABORTION SURGICAL ABORTIONS (ALSO CALLED MANUAL
IN SECULAR & CHRISTIAN MORALS VACUUM ASPIRATION):
Maria Fidelis Manalo, MD, MSc.
CRITICAL STAGES OF FETAL DEVELOPMENT - This is the most common abortion, and is performed
Ø Day1: Fertilization 
 by a doctor in a clinic or hospital.
Ø Days7- 10:Blastocystis in uterus and is a “ball of cells 
 - Takes approx. 5-10 minutes. In clinics, local
Ø Weeks2- 8: Organs and limb buds begin to develop 
 anaesthetic is used(only cervix is frozen), and in
Ø Weeks 12- 16: “Quickening” begins, mother can feel hospitals, general anaesthetic is used (woman is put to
fetus’s movements, fetus is approx. 5 1⁄2 inches long 
 sleep for procedure).
Ø Weeks 20-24: Cortex begins to develop, earliest form of
electrical activity in cortex become detectable 
 SURGICAL ABORTION PROCEDURE:
1. An ultrasound is conducted to confirm the number of
Ø Weeks 20- 28:Fetus becomes viable depending on
weeks of pregnancy in order to determine how much
size(greater than 2 lbs.) and lung development. 

the cervix needs to be dilated 

Ø Week 40:Birth 

2. Before dilation is initiated, the cervix is examined
using a speculum, cervix is then numbed by injection
What is Abortion?
of anaesthetic 

- Defined by Williams Obstetrics as the spontaneous or
induced termination of pregnancy before fetal 3. The physician then gradually dilates cervix 

viability. 4. A small hollow tube attached to an aspirator machine
- Popular use of abortion by lay persons implies a (similar to what dentists use to clear the mouth of
deliberate intact pregnancy termination. saliva) is inserted in the uterus and used to remove
- Miscarriage refers to spontaneous fetal loss. contents 

- The National Center for Health Statistics, CDC, WHO 5. A loop-shaped instrument (called a curette) is then
all define abortion as pregnancy termination before 20 used to ensure that no tissue remains in the uterus 

weeks’ gestation or with a fetus born weighing <500g. Types of Abortions
- These criteria, however, are are somewhat 1. Suction Aspiration
contradictory because the mean birthweight or a 20- - Most common method during the 1st 12 weeks
week fetus is 320 g, whereas 500 g is the mean for 22 - General or local anesthesia is given to the mother and
to 23 weeks (Moore, 1977) her cervix is quickly dilated. A suction curette (hollow
ABORTIFACIENT tube with a knife-edged tip) is inserted into the womb.
- An agent whose sole or primary purpose is to cause This instrument is then connected to a vacuum
abortions. Such agents include: machine by a transparent tube. The vacuum suction,
- low-dose birth control pills, mini pills, 'morning-after' 29x more powerful than a household vacuum cleaner,
pills, NORPLANT, Depo-Provera, true abortion pills tears the fetus and placenta into small pieces which are
such as RU-486 and intra-uterine devices (IUDs). sucked through the tube into a bottle and discarded.
REASONS U.S. WOMEN HAVE ABORTIONS
2004 Study by Guttmacher Institute, New York: More than 1 ABORTION PILL (ALSO CALLED, RU486 OR
reason may be cited: MEDICATION ABORTION):
1. It would dramatically change their lives, their ability - A form of early abortion caused by two medicines:
to continue with work oar school, or their ability to mifepristone and misoprostol
care for others (74%) 
 - This type of abortion is an option for women who are
2. They could not afford children (73%) 
 8 weeks pregnant or less
3. They were finished having children (38%) 
 Abortion procedure:
Medical abortion (RU486):
4. They did not want to become single mothers (48%) 

- Up to 7 weeks of pregnancy
1. Woman takes mifepristone (RU486)
METHODS OF ABORTIONS:
2. RU 486 works by blocking progesterone, causing
1. Uterine or vacuum aspiration
cervix to soften, uterine lining to break down, and
2. RU486 – Mifepristone must be used within 7 weeks of
bleeding to begin.
a missed menstrual period.
3. A few days later, second drug is taken that causes
3. Morning-After –Pill – prevents blastocyst from
uterus to contract to expel any remaining fetal tissue.
embedding in uterine wall.
Avail: Europe – since 1980 and US since 2000.
4. Dilation and Curettage (d & C)
5. Saline Soluntion
PROCEDURE OF THE ABORTION PILL:
6. Prostaglandin Drug- induce early labor
Ø The two pills combined are 95-97% effective within two
7. Hysterectomy – uncommon, used for late-term weeks.
abortions. Ø Side-effects may include heavy bleeding, headache,
8. Dilation and extraction (D & X) or Partial Birth nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and heavy cramping.
Abortion – also uncommon, 2nd and 3rd trimester
procedure.
Spontaneous Abortion:

BIOTHETICS PRELIMINARY TOPICS (Compiled: dpgomez, RN)
- Defined as the involuntary loss of the products of
conception prior to 20 weeks of gestation.
Incidence:
- 15% of all confirmed pregnancy
- 80% occur in 1st trimester
- Most common cause: Chromosomal abnormality
- Not normally viewed as a type of abortion.
ABORTION ARGUMENTS
Ø Scientific considerations
Human Embryology 101 
 Therefore, 78% of abortions occur after fetal waves have
When does human life begin? 
 begun
Moral Issues 

- When does a person begin to exist?
Religious Issues

- Teachings of the Catholic Church
SCIENTIFIC ARGUMENTS
• When does human life begin? •Medical textbooks •Statements
of doctors
• When does abortion occur?
• “Products of conception” – just a “blob of tissue”
MEDICAL EMBRYOLOGY TEXTBOOKS
1. The Developing Human: Clinically Oriented
Embryology
- "Zygote: this cell results from the union of an oocyte
and a sperm. A zygote is the beginning of a new human
being (i.e., an embryo). Human development begins at
fertilization... This highly specialized, totipotent cell
marks the beginning of each of us as a unique
individual.”
2. Essentials of Human Embryology
- “In this text, we begin our description of the
developing human with the formation and
differentiation of the male and female sex cells or
gametes, which will unite at fertilization to initiate the
embryonic development of a new individual.”
3. Human Embryology & Teratology
- “Fertilization is an important landmark because, under
ordinary circumstances, a new, genetically distinct
human organism is thereby formed...”
WHAT DO MEDICAL DOCTORS SAY?
Ø Dr. Alfred Bongioanni (University of Pennsylvania): “I
have learned from my earliest medical education that
human life begins at the time of conception.”
Ø Dr. Jerome LeJeune (University of Descartes): “after
fertilization has taken place a new human being has come
into being.”
Ø Dr. Hymie Gordon (Mayo Clinic): “By all criteria of
modern molecular biology, life is present from the
moment of conception.”
Ø Dr. Micheline Matthews-Roth (Harvard University
Medical School): “It is scientifically correct to say that an
individual human life begins at conception”
HUMAN EMBRYOLOGY 101
Ø Fetal heart begins
to form 18 days after conception
Ø Measurable heart beat 21-24 days after conception
10
Ø Fetal brain begins to form
Ø Brain waves produced by 6 weeks
ABORTION STATITICS BY WEEKS OF GESTATION
Weeks of Gestation Aboriton (% of Total)
<6 22 ß
7 18
8 18
>8 42
FETUS – JUST A “BLOB OF TISSUE”?
Ø “I opened the sock up and I put it on the towel and there
were parts in there of a person. I’d taken anatomy; I was
a medical student. I knew what I was looking at. There
was a little scapula and there was an arm, and I saw some
ribs and a chest, and I saw a little tiny head, and I saw a
piece of a leg, and I saw a tiny hand. ... I checked it out
and there were two arms and two legs and one head, etc.,
and I turned and said, I guess you got it all ... It was pretty
awful that first time... it was like somebody put a hot
poker into me.” (Dr. David Brewer, in training)
Ø “I watched as the contents of the woman’s womb came
through a suctioning device and into a stainless-steel pail
sitting at his feet. I stepped back and wiped the
perspiration from my brow. “This is kind of gruesome,”
I said.... The doctor said, “At this point in a pregnancy,
the products of conception aren’t much.” I stepped
forward and peered into the pail. This time I broke out in
a cold sweat. I backed up and leaned against the wall, my
eyes closed. Dear Jesus! I thought. I just saw someone
murdered! And I just stood and watched! (Nurse Don
Haines, in training)
Ø “I had a quick sonogram and then received a shot of
methrotrexate. After the shot, I came home... I went to
bed that evening around 9 p.m... I continued contracting
and bleeding most of the night. Around three in the
morning, I went to the bathroom. When I stood up, I
noticed that the pain and the pressure was not from clots,
but from passing the placenta. When I looked in the
commode, I saw laying in the center of the placenta my
baby. I saw the baby's perfectly formed hands, the little
fingers. I remember the scream that came from my
mouth... [from a 7 week abortion] (Char, “I used to be
Pro- choice...But...”)
SCIENTIFIC CONCLUSIONS
Ø Human life begins at conception

Ø Human development proceeds rapidly (all organs and
systems are in place by week 8)
Ø Abortion stops a beating heart
Ø Most abortions occur after the fetus exhibits measurable
brain waves
MORAL ARGUMENTS
Ø “Benefit” to women

Ø “Benefit to child (every child “wanted”)

Ø “Right” to control their own body

Ø Population control

Ø Fetus is not a person – personality argument “BENEFIT”
TO WOMEN
BIOTHETICS PRELIMINARY TOPICS (Compiled: dpgomez, RN) 11
Ø Prevention of deaths from “coat hanger” or “back alley” 3. Who makes the definition? 

abortions 4. Society has excluded certain humans from
Ø Cases of rape or incest, fetal abnormalities or threats to personhood before (e.g., African slaves, Chinese,
mother’s life or health etc.) Should we make a new list of human non-
Ø Abortion alleviates economic and social problems. persons? 

Ø Ø The lack of certain personality traits would remove from
THE “HARD” CASES personhood:
Abortion must be available for: - Those who are in a coma
- cases of rape or incest Represent only 1% of all cases - Elderly with degenerative disorders (Alzheimer's, etc.)
- cases of fetal abnormalities Represent only 1% of all - Mentally deficient
cases - Genetic
- mother’s health is at risk Represents only 3% of all - Neurological disease
cases - Mental illness
Ø Is it okay to consider these human beings as non-
ABORTION ALLEVIATES ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL persons?
PROBLEMS
1. Pregnancy subjugates women, interferes with career DEFINITION OF PERSONHOOD
and educational choices 
 v One who is consciously performing personal acts –
2. For most women, pregnancy does not interfere with eliminates those who are sleeping
the ability to work or attend school, except after birth v One with a present capacity to perform personal acts –

 eliminates those who are in a coma
3. Laws prevent employers from firing or discriminating v One who has a history of performing personal acts –
against pregnant women 
 eliminates one who was in a coma from birth, but wakes
4. Women are not forced to keep their children. Adoption up
is always an option 
 v One with a future capacity for performing personal acts –
5. The existence of social problems is not justification for makes those who are dying as non-persons
another evil 

IMPLICATIONS OF FUNCTIONALLY-DEFINED
EVERY CHILD SHOULD BE WANTED PERSONHOOD
1. Being wanted is not a condition of the child, but of the ü Newborns lack the ability to perform personal
adult functions – in fact, newborn humans are less capable
2. Is it fair to kill a child because of the attitude of an physically and mentally than virtually all other
adult? mammals
3. Wanted children are less likely to suffer abuse ü Therefore, on the basis of functionally-defined
personhood, newborns fail the test could be killed on
WOMEN HAVE A “RIGHT” TO CONTROL THEIR the basis of “non-personhood”
OWN BODY
1. Is the fetus part their body? WHEN DOES A HUMAN BECOME A PERSON?
- Separate circulatory system 
 - At conception 

- Unique DNA 
 - After 20 weeks’ gestation 

2. Do we have rights to do anything with our bodies? 
 - After 24 weeks (fetal viability outside the womb) 

- Assault. Illegal drugs and Use of drugs/alcohol during - At birth 

pregnancy 
 - At the point that the individual expresses self-
consciousness and an interest in their continued
POPULATION CONTROL – REBUTTAL existence 

Ø Those countries that outlaw abortion have an AT CONCEPTION, IT IS ONLY A SINGLE CELL
overcrowding problem Claim: Fertilized eggs are single cells, like blood cells or other
Ø This does not indicated cause and effect – these countries parts of the body
also have little or no access to birth- control, poor Rebuttal:
education, etc. Ø The single cell is unique from both the father’s and
Ø War, disease and famine also curb population growth. mother’s cells and is the beginning of every new human
Should we condone them? being
Claim: PRIOR TO 20 WEEKS, A FETUS IS NOT A PERSON
FETUS IS NOT A PERSON Ø A person possess an individual human personality 

Ø “Persons . . . are members of a social community that Ø Prior to 20 weeks’ gestation, the cerebral cortex has not
shapes and values them, and personhood must be defined yet developed to the point that the fetus can possess an
in terms of interactions and relationships with others.” individual human personality Therefore... 

Ø Personality definition problems Ø The fetus prior to 20 weeks’ gestation is not a person. 

1. Does a human non-person exist? 
 Rebuttal:
2. What traits define personhood? 
 Person = Personality Problem

BIOTHETICS PRELIMINARY TOPICS (Compiled: dpgomez, RN)
Ø All persons were once fetuses. When did we go from non-
person status to person status? 
 ABORTION NOT EVEN WHEN THE CHILD HAVE A
Ø To say that personality defines personhood is to deny the
role of the body 
 Ø Preborn children diagnosed with disabilities deserve to be
Ø Mind/Body dualism? 
 treated with te same respect as born people with or
Ø Brain Development Problem
Ø The development of the brain is programmed by the DNA
– it is an inherent function of the fertilized ovum and
continues even after birth
Rebuttal:
PRIOR TO 24 WEEKS, A FETUS IS NOT VIABLE
- Depends upon current technology Age of viability
used to be 28 weeks Changed to 24 weeks in 1990
- Artificial womb (Nature, 2002)
Developed for
premature infants
Uses oxygenated perfluorinated
hydrocarbons Could cut the point of fetal viability in
half?
WHAT THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC
CHURCH
HAS TO SAY ABOUT ABORTION:
HUMAN LIFE IS SACRED
Ø Because from its beginning it involves the creative action
of God and it remains for ever in a special relationship
with the Creator, who is its sole end.
Ø God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its
end: no one can under any circumstance claim for himself
the right directly to destroy an innocent human being.
HUMAN LIFE MUST BE PROTECTED FROM
CONCEPTION
Ø Human life must be respected and protected absolutely
from the moment of conception.
Ø From the first moment of his existence, a human being
must be recognized as having the rights of a person -
among which is the inviolable right of every innocent
being to life.
Ø Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before
you were born I consecrated you. (Jer 1:5) 
 equivalent of a death sentence.
Ø My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being
made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the
earth. (Ps 139:15) 
 BIOLOGICAL MATERIAL."
DIRECT ABORTION IS GRAVELY CONTRARY TO
THE MORAL LAW
Ø Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral
evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not
changed and remains unchangeable.
Ø Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an
end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law:
Ø You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not
cause the newborn to perish. (Didache 2,2:ÆCh 248,148)


Ø God, the Lord of life, has entrusted to men the noble
mission of safeguarding life, and men must carry it out in
a manner worthy of themselves. Life must be protected
with the utmost care from the moment of conception:
abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes.
(Gaudium et spes
S 51 § 3) 

12
DISABILITY?
without disability.
ABORTION WHAT IF THE BABY WILL DIE ANYWAY?
Ø Parents who know that they allowed God to have control
over the life of their little baby hae a much easier time
grieving the loss of their baby than those parents who
caused the death of their child abortion.
ABORTION NOT EVEN WHEN THE PREGNANCY IS THE
RESULT OF RAPE?
Ø Rape is an act of iolence inflicted upon a woman. She is
an innocent victim, and this knowledge may someday
help her come to terms with the rape and rebuild her life.
ABORTION NOT EVEN WHEN THE PREGNANCY IS THE
RESULT OF RAPE?
Ø Her baby is not a monster, and telling a woman that her
best option is to get rid her baby as soon as possible may
only reinforce in her mind the idea that she is dirty, or a
monster, herself.
ABORTION NOT EVEN WHENT THE PREGNANCY
THREATENS THE LIFE OF THE MOTHER?
Ø Abortion will not cure any life-threatening condition a
mother might have.
Ø In certain circumstances, pregnancy may, in fact, relieve
a medical condition.
THE EMBRYO MUST BE DEFENDED AS A PERSON
Ø Since it must be treated from conception as a person, the
embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for, and
healed, as far as possible, like any other human being.
Ø Prenatal diagnosis is morally licit, "if it respects the life
and integrity of the embryo and the human fetus and is
directed toward its safe guarding or healing as an
individual. . . .
Ø It is gravely opposed to the moral law when this is done
with the thought of possibly inducing an abortion,
depending upon the results: a diagnosis must not be the
"IT IS IMMORAL TO PRODUCE HUMAN EMBRYOS
INTENDED FOR EXPLOITATION AS DISPOSABLE
Ø "One must hold as licit procedures carried out on the
human embryo which respect the life and integrity of
the embryo and do not involve disproportionate risks for
it, but are directed toward its healing the improvement
of its condition of health, or its individual survival."
Ø "Certain attempts to influence chromosomic or genetic
inheritance are not therapeutic but are aimed at
producing human beings selected according to sex or
other predetermined qualities. Such manipulations are
contrary to the personal dignity of the human being and
his integrity and identity" which are unique and
unrepeatable.
BIOTHETICS PRELIMINARY TOPICS (Compiled: dpgomez, RN) 13
BODILY INTEGRITY
Arlette Sanchez Samaniego, MD, FPAFP Sources:
- PPT
PRINCIPLE of TOTALITY - PAT G and VISION Transes
× The parts of the physical whole , inasmuch as they are
parts, are ordained to the good of the whole because
this good is what gives fundamental meaning, or the
raison d’etre, to the whole.
CLASSIFICATION of
ORGAN TRANSPLANTS
1. Autotransplants: autografts, auto plastic grafts
2. Heterologous transplants
a. Homologous transplant
> homotransplants, homografts, homoplastic grafts
or homologous transplants
Criteria for Donors
1. A least 12 months old and no more than 60 years old
2. No existing morbidities
3. Organ donated must not be strictly essential to life
4. Donation must be voluntary with an upright intention
5. Donor must understand all the risks involved

Criterion for Recipients

1. Transplant must be truly vital and necessary to one’s
life and well-being
2. Has a reasonable chance of success
3. 2. Expected beneficial results must be proportionate o
he risks and inconvenience to which he donor exposes
himself

PRINCIPLE of FINALITY
Ø A healthy person may voluntarily donate any part of his
body that is not essential to his life, without contradicting
nature, for the benefit of a sick neighbor.
Ø Done out of generosity, which is frequently the case, this
gesture is not only justified; it is meritorious.
Ø Organ donation is fostered among Christians today as a
way of imitating Christ ‘who gave his life for the
salvation of others’ (Jn 3:14)

"Kidneys for Sale"

Jessica and her team's search for the main players in this trade
leads them to Baseco, Tondo, to the home of kidney agent Mang
Jun. In the surrounding neighborhood, they discover more than
a dozen men who had already sold one of their kidneys. Living
hand-to-mouth, these men could not resist the promise of
P70,000 to P100,000 payment for a kidney. But most of them
ended up regretting their decision.

Having spent all the money, they tried to get stable jobs but
could not get accepted into various companies. With only one
kidney, they were not cleared during medical examinations.
They could also not handle the same physically-taxing jobs they
used to be able to take.

Ø 12,000 pesos Komisyon

Ø Qualification: Healthy and age not exceed 39 years old.