Abortion: the issue the CMA has refused to address is life

David Knickle

Canadian Medical Association Journal, CMAJ
Canadian Medical Association Journal

Extract
The CMA’s new statement shifts the balance very heavily away from the sanctity of human life and places more emphasis on these pregnancy-related problems. Surely this is contrary to our traditional medical ethic of protecting life and curing disease. . .

The issue for our profession should be this: What is medically acceptable? We must set our standards of ethical practice. Surely we are capable of defining what is therapeutic and what is non- therapeutic in life-and-death situations. The issue here is not whether we are pro-choice or pro-life, or for or against abortion on demand. The issue is simply whether we will hold to our traditional medical ethic of protecting life and treating disease.


Knickle D. Abortion: the issue the CMA has refused to address is life. Can Med Assoc J. 1988 Nov 15;139(10):990.