Ethical dilemma involving unwanted pregnancy

Abstract

The objective of ethical analysis is to conclude to minimize harm to all participants while remaining within a law. A moral dilemma occurs because of inconsistency between the correctness of action and the quality of the outcome of an action. An ethical dilemma occurs when the wrong action produces good results, or when good behavior produces incorrect results. Care providers who are working in Health institutions are regularly confronted with cases having an ethical dilemma. One important question is: how we can deal with an arisen ethical dilemma? Based on Jonsen et al medical ethics theory and different ethical theories, clinicians and ethicists use four approaches to make ethically and morally justifiable decisions. This narrated history is an attempt to openly explain the ethical dilemma confronted with the Care provider at Mizan-Tepi teaching hospital. Care providers primarily narrate the real scenario and then make use of the Jonsen et al clinical ethics theory and deontology and utilitarian theory of ethics to a thorough clinical ethical dilemma case analysis. This case presents the two undesirable alternatives, that is, “whether to respect the patient autonomy” and “Violate the country’s law on abortion” and vice-versa and the Jonsen et al clinical ethics theory was used to deal with these dilemmas.