The First Ache

Over the past four years, anti-abortion groups have turned fetal pain into a new front in their battle to restrict or ban abortion. Anti-abortion politicians have drafted laws requiring doctors to tell patients seeking abortions that a fetus can feel pain and to offer the fetus anesthesia; such legislation has already passed in five states. Anand says he does not oppose abortion in all circumstances but says decisions should be made on a case-by-case ... Full Story »

Posted by Leo Romero

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Review

Jim Filby
4.5
by Jim Filby - Oct. 1, 2008

Well researched piece on what pain may mean to a fetus/soon to be human depending on your value viewpoint. There seems to be a common medical basis for when the fetus feels pain, and how it may impact treatment for surgeries, and for the ramifications for pro-choice advocates. The article does allow the experts in the field to speculate philosophy on conclusions from that point, but does provide others as counter-point. It does not tackle the issue of if pain makes a "person" or not but does attempt to let the reader decide from the data provided.

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Jim's Rating

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4.5

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5.0
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4.5
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5.0
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