Counseling for the option of termination of pregnancy for severe fetal anomalies in light of the recent Supreme Court ruling to remove the constitutional right to an abortion

Abstract

A birth defect is a structural or chromosomal change present at birth that can affect almost any part or parts of the body. Birth defects can vary from mild to severe. On June 24, 2022, with its Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization decision the Supreme Court of the United States overturned Roe v. Wade, removing the longstanding landmark 1973 ruling that secured a person's constitutional right to an abortion. With this decision individual states can now decide their own abortion laws. In about one-half of the states that continue the legality of pregnancy termination, the process of offering, discussing, and performing terminations of pregnancy remain the same as previously. In states where abortions are not legal, there will be conflicts between the law and the ethical responsibility of physicians to offer and discuss termination of pregnancy for severe anomalies.

Keywords: Abortion; Autonomy; Beneficience; Ethics; Fetal anomalies; Fetal patient; Non-aggressive management; Pregnancy.