“Mary Moe,” a mom with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia in Massachusetts, hasn’t had a great past few months. In October, she showed up at a local hospital emergency room and was found to be pregnant. Mary Moe is on medication for her psychiatric concerns. Doctors who examined her in the E.R. concluded that taking her off the medication would be risky for her, given her pregnancy.
But unlike a lot of people with psychiatric disorders, Mary Moe apparently didn’t have the same freedoms you and I take for granted. Such as the freedom to decide what to do with our own bodies.
Or whether to give birth if we’re pregnant.
In Mary Moe’s case, the state Department of Mental Health intervened on behalf of Mary’s parents. They filed a petition to have the woman’s parents named as guardians. Why?
So the parents could give their consent for an abortion.
Then it got even more scarier when the case ended up in a local Massachusetts courtroom and the judge sided with the parents. And went one step further…
Mary Moe (a pseudonym) has been pregnant twice before. In the first pregnancy, she had an abortion. In the second she gave birth to the boy. The boy is now in her parent’s custody.
According to the report in The Boston Globe, at some point “between her abortion and the birth of her son, she had a “psychotic break” and has since been hospitalized numerous times for mental illness, court records say.”
Once you get into the public mental health system in this way, things can go downhill quick when it’s not just your life in the balance.
Norfolk judge Christina Harms, now retired, had to decide this gut-wrenching case. I would assume she might take into account Mary Moe’s wishes about wanting to keep the baby:
[Mary Moe] described herself to court officials as “very Catholic,” and said she would never have an abortion. When asked about an abortion at a December hearing, she replied that she “wouldn’t do that.”
So what did Judge Harms rule?
[…] Harms ruled that the woman was not competent to make a decision about an abortion, citing “substantial delusional beliefs,” and concluded she would choose to abort her pregnancy if she were competent.
The woman would “not choose to be delusional” if competent, Harms ruled, and would choose to have an abortion “in order to benefit from medication that otherwise could not be administered due to its effect on the fetus.”
Seems like a stretch, but… wait a minute… Did the judge just ignore the person’s own wishes about keeping their baby? What do delusional beliefs have to do with wanting or not wanting a baby??
But here’s where it gets a little crazy…
Unbidden, the judge further directed that the 32-year-old woman be sterilized “to avoid this painful situation from recurring in the future.”
Huh?? So not only does the judge suggest the person get an abortion — something Mary Moe doesn’t want but something her parents do — but then she further suggests that she get sterilized.
She ordered that the woman’s parents be appointed coguardians to give their consent to the abortion and sterilization. The parents, who have custody of the woman’s son, believe that terminating the pregnancy is in their daughters’ best interests, according to court records.
The case was thankfully kicked up to a higher court upon appeal, were perhaps more reasoned minds prevailed.
But the appeals court concluded that Harms improperly decided the matter of the woman’s competence, and noted that a court-appointed specialist had determined that the woman would “decide against an abortion if she were competent.” Without conducting a hearing, Harms found the specialist’s report inconclusive.
And that sterilization order? Thankfully gone.
In sharp words, yesterday’s decision also denounced the sterilization order, a directive that several legal specialists said they had not heard of in recent memory.
“No party requested this measure, none of the attendant procedural requirements has been met, and the judge appears to have simply produced the requirement out of thin air,” wrote Appeals Court Judge Andrew Grainger.
Here’s the real kicker though… This is just the one story we know about because the records — which are usually sealed — were unsealed on appeal. In most state cases where this sort of thing is decided, you’ll never hear about it.
It goes on every day in the U.S., hundreds of times a year.
The reason for a judge to be involved in the process in the first place is to ensure the rights of the patient are being protected. In this case, sadly, it doesn’t appear the judge took them into account as much as she should have.
These cases are rarely black and white, but in this case at least, it appears the judge overstepped her boundaries and made significant, life-impacting decisions with little regard for the freedom and rights of the individual. Let’s hope by showing the spotlight on this case, it helps to — if not prevent future abuses — at least make others think twice.
Read the full article: Court strikes decision for mentally ill woman’s abortion
39 comments
Poor Mary Moe. Hope someone’s on her side now.
The ER doctors and the local judge seem to be a little out of touch with reality. Maybe they should all be forcibly medicated and sterilised so they don’t accidentally trample someone’s human rights again.
Great article -I only wish you had used a better headline. I figured you wrote this before the appellate court correctly overturned that probate judge’s ridiculous order. As a practicing attorney who lives with bipolar disorder, and is involved with mental health advocacy on both a personal and professional level – I can tell you that even with clear statutes that outline the rights of people with psychiatric disabilities, decisions are made by probate court judges that are unjustifiable. Thankfully, “Mary” had the ability to appeal her case and have her rights protected. Sadly, too many of the people I see lack the resources to do so.
In addition, we need more education of the attorneys – many of whom are appointed by the court – who represent people with psychiatric disabilities in these courts so that they live up to their responsibilities as attorneys to zealously advocate for their clients.
There are restitutions now being decided, over the forced sterilization of individuals that the government deemed unstable, in the southern states for decades. These individuals were forced to be sterilized without their consent. Does this judge not stay current with the news being aired on National television?
I like court shows, and this story had me wishing it had remained in the land of abstract thought. Let me say, I completely agree with the judge who ordered the abortion. One step further, on a site dedicated to psychology, I would have expected the same.
I have grown to believe (with much supporting proof) that at the core of nearly all of our social issues in the US (and around the world) is poor parenting leading to dysfunctional personality traits. We have this errant belief that all women have the right to have children (which they should), but they are allowed to be absent of the skills to be a parent. The reason why AD’s are a multi-billion dollar industry, that we have so many people locked up, that we have Casey Anthony’s, random irrational shootings, 51% divorce rate (out of the few that are even getting married), The housing bubble, wage disparity, bullying, teenaged pregnancy, sexual and physical violence/ abuse, unemployment rates skyrocketing, and on and on can all be traced back to one problem, we have no grasp on just how difficult it is to be a parent to a human baby. Most of us are capable of fulfilling the basic physical needs of a child. However, the vast majority of us hardly even know what a “subconscious” is, let alone how to raise one. Even here where “mental health” topics are discussed and pondered, over 100 yrs of understanding are rejected and conscious emotions kick in when reading a story like this. On a site where issues that can be traced back to childhood and poor parenting skills, everybody talked about the plight of the mentally handicapped mother (where was the father again? Also where were the parents when..) all while completely forgetting that a child will be born into a home where to parents who haven’t the skill set to raise them functionally. People think nothing about telling their kids not to drink and smoke with a beer and a cigarette in their hands. Public schools have become a staple, we send our kids off into that “Lord of the Flies” land. Then when they do something dysfunctional we say “I didn’t teach them that!”. No doubt, you didn’t teach them anything. Dad sitting on a couch screaming violently at a ball game is the only time some kids see theirs. The point is we abuse children’s psyche and we aren’t even aware of it.
I will finish by saying we have become a “borderline society”. We got not future, got no connection to the past, every whim must be fulfilled now, no understanding of consequences for our actions, constant input, irrational fears while fearless of real threats. This story is just one more “straw on the camels back” that pushes the human race down that spiral to catastrophic breakdown. Instead of leaping to the perspective of the mother, think about the child and think about the community at large that will have to care for (or not care for) that child. Don’t look at this so much as her having a child, but as this mentally handicapped person forcing another child onto her parents. The fact we don’t show how poor our parenting skills have become.
Dear Lol,
Mary Moe is a human being.
Her human rights were infringed upon.
It really is that simple.
I thought at one time it was that simple. It became very complicated when this very real and very serious mental illness was diagnosed in my own daughter who is on several meds and makes impulsive dangerous life threatening decisions. You really do have to have first hand experience to get the full affect. Life was so very simple before.
My Dearest Elizabeth,
That life she is carrying is a life that has already had its rights infringed upon. Her parents who will be forced to care for the child have rights that will be infringed upon. As a child of the system without a proper guide to raise it, the community at large will have its rights infringed upon. If we as a race do not stop thinking of ourselves and our “rights” (that were not given by any god who also created the laws of nature for sure) It will be this entire world that has it “rights infringed upon”. We no longer live on farms or in small self sufficient communities. Every actions each of us does has a consequence leveled against the entire community. Karma has never moved so fast.
If you could have known then what we know now, would you have “infringed upon the rights” of Cassy Anthony? Take the mental health portion out of this, and you have a young girl going out and getting pregnant while her parents are at home taking care of her first child. Free will can only sustain when tempered with good judgment.
Lol, you miss the point that Mary does not have to be responsible for raising her child in this “chaotic” lifestyle you foresee for her in your post, even if she continues her pregnancy.
Also why does this responsibility have to fall to her parents either, despite them having a child of Mary’s already. You forget the option of adoption; which is a worthwhile option in itself and contrary to the option of abortion. Mary had already experienced an abortion and this can be a traumatic experience, and makes me wonder if this is why she then chose to continue her 2nd pregnancy.
Lastly you also assume that Mary is incapable of raising a child herself in her current state of mental health, which may be very different to a previous position she found herself in for baby #1(as it doesnt say if that option was explored and dismissed- she may be very stable on meds, who knows)and especially IF she has the support of her parents and agencies to do so. It is the assumption that she is not capable of that is so dangerous and labels anyone with a mental health condition immediately as an incapable parent, which does not necessarily follow in the majority of cases.
I sympathise with your “rant” about the ills in society and agree fully that poor parenting can be extremely damaging on a child, but we dont have all the facts here as to why options were considered and/or dismissed. But mental ill-health per-say need NOT be a barrier to effective and loving parenting and damaging assumptions should not be made.
Madmum, We know other sources that her parents are the ones who advocated for this termination. So she doesn’t have the support of her parents. We are not talking about a grown woman here, we are talking about a 14 yr old with all the natural emotional changes. Addressing the drugs is a whole other issue. They are not predictable enough to secure a child. Plus, along with her existing condition there are multiple studies and at least 2 class action lawsuits in ongoing in reference bipolar drugs and birth defects. Again we can assume she is incapable of raising a child (physically, emotionally, and financially) because she is only 14! And pregnant again for the second time. While her baby was at her parents house needing a mother. How many children, how many lives will be impaired before we socially say, “enoughâ€. Should she be allowed to have 4, 5, 6, (octomom) 8 children?
This speaks to a greater problem. We are at this crossroads in our social evolvement. We can acknowledge that we move as one social entity, where our individual economic, environmental, political, social, educational, and even reproductive choices affect the community as a whole. OR we can keep pretending that we are the only sufferers of the consequences of our actions. (If that is the case, we can get rid of all social programs domestic and foreign.) The later approach has lead to the greater issues we all face today. All of them caused by a millions of stories (told and unknown) much like this one. Let us face it, Hitler’s parents were epic failures. (I would say the Bush’s were not that great either.)
In twist of irony, I have never once advocated for an abortion. I am morally opposed to them. But this case has presented real dilemma.
lol needs to actually show her sources instead of just saying she has them
did you really blame the houseing bubble,somthing caused by the banks on bad parenting? im sorry but it sounds like your the one who should have been aborted in that case next time use actuall logic in your case
This is a very difficult situation. I actually agree that this woman should not have children. She cannot take care of them, which is why her parents are taking care if het first child. Having said that. I am pro-choice and that means I do not support forced abortions and sterilizations, even when a person is incompetent.
Instead of quoting extensively from secondhand news reports, why not link to the actual decision? Plenty of sources exist…Google Scholar, MassCases, Westlaw (free), etc. If you want to opine, then you should use primary sources. Here’s the slip opinion.
http://www.universalhub.com/2012/guardianship-mary-moe
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I’d hardly agree that the Boston Globe is a ‘secondhand news report,’ but thank you for the link to the decision.
John
In my opinion, welcome to one part of the future should Obamacare survive the Supreme Court challenge. Mental health care will be so marginalized, the only place to see a psychiatrist will be acute care psych hospitals, community mental health clinics, VA system, substance abuse programs, and forensic/correctional facilities.
Good luck getting mental health care from non mental health providers. And expecting the public to be supportive.
If I am wrong, then I will be very happy. Not feeling too good these days.
Whilst it is difficult to balance the conflicting needs,wellbeing and rights of two individuals lets not forget equality – and the nazi’s opinions and actions on situations like this one!
It’s a hard lesson we are learning and most of us refuse to learn it. I love being an American. As a woman, I am prochoice. But as in all things, my choices are free as long as I don’t impinge on the rights of others. Leaving the Roe v. Wade issue aside, I have been appalled for years at the failure of American society to teach its citizens to make and take responsibility for his/her decisions and actions. It is not in dispute that this woman is mentally ill. Would she be issued a driver’s license or be able to buy a gun? Can she hold down a job? Is she a contributing member of society? If so, and she made the conscious choice to have a child with a responsible father, then I’m all for it.
However too many people, regardless of their ability to care for a child, feed, house, educate, teach good social skills, etc. have children with only a vague idea of how they are going to do exactly that. When I ask, they tell, oh something will come along. Yes, food stamps, welfare, Section 8’s and so on. Why should I mortgage my future to pay for these thoughtless people?
Now, I can say that because I made a conscious choice to NOT have a child for those very reasons. I thought, if I can’t take care of my child, who should I expect to? Certainly not society.
Back to decision-making. Let’s say this woman made no conscious decision to become pregnant, there is no father in the picture, and the grandparents cannot take on a further responsibility, will the child stay with its mother? If not, is it because she is not a good parent? If not, why is she having more children, just because she had sex without protection, and now society has to shoulder the costs and responsibility? Why?
I applaud lol above and the grandparents. Since the woman’s illnesses are often passed down, its a good chance her children will be ill too. The grandparents ARE taking responsibility, as hard as it must be to not have grandchildren.
As to the woman with bipolar: yes, many people are fortunate to have a good start in life, or at least some stability time to develop coping skills. Yet if this woman has this child and raises it, or tries to, I don’t foresee it having that good fortune. If it were my daughter, with what I’ve learned over the years, and where this society is headed, I would do the same.
I just hope one of those applauding the appeals court decision will step up to adopt the child. if and when the mother has it and if the court deems her an unfit parent. Which appears to be likely from the information given above.
im sorry but your not pro choice as you dont supportany ones choice but your own forcing an abortion is anti choise YOU mam are a hypocrite not a pro choicer and you should be ashamed of makeing us REAL pro choicers look bad
Having a hyper sexual daughter who is on heavy meds for bipolar manic depressive ect and not functional without it and seeing women on assistance who do to their mental illness who will never be able to care for or make everyday life decisions consistently for themselves and who have demonstrated that fact, I’d say the judge was on the money with his decision. Those women are not so much at fault for their mental illness but taken advantage of because of it. I think the judge weighed everything right. It doesn’t sound like he took this decision lightly. For those that disagree. You are probably not that person who is directly affected by a child born to a women with a severe mental disorder. Again, the judge was dead on. He probably has first hand experience. Otherwise he is just a very smart judge willing to take a tough and accurate stance. Cudos to him.
David, I am so sorry to hear about your daughter; I know well the difficult road you have traveled. I have had so many families ask me what they can do – and sterilization is always on top of my list. I cannot tell you how many wonderful parents I have seen raising the children of their mentally ill daughters. And I have so many patients who are hypersexual – it’s almost impossible to get them to use condoms. I can’t count the number of patients I have who were born HIV positive because their gravely mentally ill parents didn’t use birth control.
One family comes to mind – their daughter literally would have sex for the price of one cigarette. Who has sex with these women? Other mentally ill people. So you have the genetics of two mentally ill people combining to produce offspring. And parents taking in child after child… this particular family had eleven children of their schizophrenic daughter whom they were raising. Paternity is unknown, of course. Many of those children already display mental illness. It is terrible. We just got a court order for sterilization. No one could talk their daughter into abortion.
As you say, unless you have BEEN THERE, you cannot possibly know. Thank you so much for sharing your story. I’m very sorry you are having to deal with a mentally ill daughter. Mental illness is the cruelest trick of nature, I think. I wish you well.
Donna
But… you cannot have bipolar illness and schizophrenia. That would simply be schizoaffective disorder. As these severe mental illnesses are genetic, with triggers (often prenatal) for at least some cases, sterilization is something we need to see more of. Severe mental illness causes such suffering – for families and the individuals themselves.
I have been able to get some of my patients sterilizied – it’s a huge legal battle to get it done. But when you have a schizophrenic or person with schizoaffective disorder having child after child after child, it’s a terrible thing to see. Only those of us who have worked a clinicians with the severely mentally ill can render a knowledgeable opinion. Frankly, I wish we could have mandatory sterilization for ALL schzophrenics and schizoaffective persons. There is not one good argument for allowing reproduction in people whose brains are hijacked by a horrific, genetic mental illness. And these people are among the least likely to seek out birth control.
That judge did a great good for the woman, for her family, and for society. I wish we had more stories like this.
so I as a mentally ill person am flawed and worthless? What kind of sick, twisted reasoning is that? Don’t forget there are treatments out there and you have no right to determine someone’s life forever. Abortion is wrong and I would NEVER have aabortion and if someone forced me to have one they would be raping me and killing a child.
well i kind of used to strong words here I think but my point remains the same. Basically you are a condescending idiot who thinks she knows everything. Who knows better than youu? Well how about US? The mantally ill. WE KNOW BETTER THAN YOU and we always will
I have schizoaffective disorder and I WILL NOT be sterilized! Fuck you! I will not have my rights infringed upon by doctors such as you. You think you are holier-than- though, you’re the one with a mental disorder. Fuck doctors! The mentally ill will have children if they so please and you cannot stop us you NAZIS. Yeah, look me up, it is my real name I am using.
I also had sex with two different patients while under psychiatric care. So a lot of us mentally ill have lots of sex even if staff say no sex. We will continue to get pregnant no matter what you say, sex is a right. No doctor will be controlling what happens to my body.
Hmm, anyone miss the decision to enforce the woman be sterilized? How about enforced contraception first, if a legitimate intervention like Norplant?
Abortion has become a black and white issue in America, but, it isn’t. There are times where the procedure is fully warranted, times it is a poor choice, and then the murky middle. But, thanks to what is our political environment of 2012, life is basically purely right or wrong. Depending on who’s point of view is right. Gee, if living in a culture was that easy, we wouldn’t even need government or courts. But, it isn’t easy, is it?
Again, if you all want someone or some very selective group making your decisions, then why live here? There are plenty of cultures out there on the planet who have dictators or a entrenched small group who rule without much choice. If you don’t know better, then I guess ignorance is bliss, eh? Me, I like choice, and so do most of my patients. What this case was about is far from that option.
Mary never will be owner of her own life and her own body. Cruel order, I guess.
Wow this is a huge can of worms.
As a recovering person who felt the abuse of power often inflicted on the nonconforming mentally ill and ending up feeling the lack of humanity and human rights of the system I have compassion for this woman. I think abortion is a personal choice made by a rational person not the government or those in your conserve. But who else is going to step in when one is not rational? Many who read that article have never been psychotic nor have they experienced our Government/Medical systems failure in their attempts to be benevolent.
This article addresses so many complicated moral and social issues I do not know where to start and how I would have handled it had I been in the position of power to do so. It was a difficult situation at best. Those parents are already raising one child and it is clear from the article she has yet to become “compliant” which may not always be the best thing anyway. Often it is the rebels who got better before me in my 12 years of recovery. My most congenial and compliant friend committed suicide 3 days after being released from the hospital.
I can’t agree with the abortion because I have been graced with such beautiful nieces and nephews and I believe life starts at conception after my own miscarriage. I mourned that possible baby who by California law was still young enough to be aborted. But God in his infinite wisdom knew that I could barely take care of a kitten let alone guide a little human into adulthood.
Adoption was still a choice and if /she had to go off her meds for the baby’s sake that is a better use of our mental health dollars than the warehousing they do of the chronically mentally ill with no help for improvement.
As for the sterilization again having personally experienced psychosis if she was prone to bouts of it that led her to get pregnant then it was a hard choice but a necessary choice for the possible babies she would make in the future. Life is hard and none of us know what we would have done in the situation. We all do our best to be helpful to those in our charge or loved ones but even professionals come with baggage and ideologies. We just have to trust that despite appearances the best thing for the patient came about even if I find it morally repugnant. I do not have to walk that family’s walk.
Hard enough to see what my own illness and out of control behavior put my own family through.
We do agree on this the system often makes poor choices for the mentally ill. My belief is many would get better faster if medicare/medicaid audited the day programs and hospitals that really just warehouse the mentally ill and suck on the marrow of the healthy tax payer causing more reason for resentment and stigma for the mentally ill. Again this article merits a whole new post as there are threads of all that is wrong with the system mixed up with what is right in the individual situation. I certainly am not in the position of Monday morning quarterback and judging is not going to mitigate the tragedy.
Hitler had the same idea. He had experiments , sterializations and gassed many of his own people just because they were mentally ill. Killing mentally ill Germans fit into his plan of the perfect race. This judge and the parents are no better than a bunch of Nazis.
Nobody is gassing Mary. Stretching the comparison the abortion had Nazi like qualities. They are preventing the need for further abortions by sterilizing her. It is not a clear moral choice it is the lesser of two evils. While I agree the system is inhumane it is to make light of the atrocities the Nazi’s committed upon many groups they felt inferior to equate the horrors of bad mental health care to the horrors of the holocaust. There are no comparisons although ironically while delusional in ER psych I did draw those comparisons. But the fact is while similar the holocaust attacked many groups (I think I would have been gassed at least three times had I lived in those times.)
All inhumanity is not the same and under these dark circumstances they made the best decision the could considering Mary’s mental state and behavior. If you have not been the family member of a sexually active psychotic you do not know the moral dilemma this family and support team must have faced. We can all be Monday morning quarterbacks but only this family walked through this particular hell. Judgment is best left up to God and as humans when faced with such messes we can only do our best.
I would like to premise the next comment by citing Texas legal code.
Sec. 22.011. SEXUAL ASSAULT. (a) A person commits an offense if the person:
(1) intentionally or knowingly:(A) causes the penetration of the anus or female sexual organ of another person by any means, without that person’s consent;
(B) causes the penetration of the mouth of another person by the sexual organ of the actor, without that person’s consent; or
1.07
(19) “Effective consent” includes consent by a person legally authorized to act for the owner. Consent is not effective if:(B) given by a person the actor knows is not legally authorized to act for the owner;(C) given by a person who by reason of youth, mental disease or defect, or intoxication is known by the actor to be unable to make reasonable decisions.
So despite this nice, very agenda ridden spin on this story presented here and other places in the media. One thing is evident. This 14 yr old mentally handicapped student has been getting raped since at least the age of 12 when she probably upon her first period she got pregnant. Upon having the first child, (by definition of the laws of the land) rapes continued, and to the point that yet another child is conceived. I see there are lawyers to get in and protect a political agenda, but where are the advocates to protect this poor girl!? This judge did what little he could from a bench to protect her. Why is nobody here on a psychological blog speaking out about the traumatic rape of an underage mentally handicapped child? All people see is a “judge infringing upon her rights?†Really, not a single mention of the rape? This is why I have lost faith in people.
the victim in this case is a 32 yr old woman. yes, she has bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, but that is NO reason to FORCE an abortion and sterilization.
The case in the news right now is the one from Corpus Christi . http://articles.cnn.com/2012-01-18/us/us_texas-pregnant-teen_1_abortion-threat-texas-suit-supreme-court-case?_s=PM:US
The name was withheld, in most articles as it is here. The story is identicle, to the one of the one of the 14 yr. old girl in Corpus Christi.
This is a case of cake or eat it too. Either the mentaly unstable/ handicapped/ insane are either capable of being held responsible for their actions and thus we start plopping them in prisons and trating them with the same rights and consequences as everybody else OR we accept that through unfoirtunate dysfunction, some individuals req
(for some reason that posted in the middle of my text) anyway,.. require the community to make decisions and choose actions for these people. Anybody who thinks just “putting food on the table and a roof over their head” constitutes “successfully raising children” hasn’t grasped their role as parents in the enotional health of a child.
I know a lady with schizophrenia that with the support and helpful guiding has raised SIX healthy children… maybe they should focus on helping these woman rather than taking away their rights!!!
From an outside perspective, if the woman is determined to be mentally competent, then she should not be obligated to have an abortion (or to continue the pregnancy) against her objections. Someone who is mentally incompetent should have medical decisions made by a guardian.
Real life is far more complicated than a strict interpretation of rights. This woman’s parents, rather than overstepping their boundaries, may simply be reaching the end of their emotional and financial resources, resources that are already strained in the effort to support their daughter and the son she already has.
The dynamic that led to Andrea Yates’ killing of her own children should not be overlooked here. In this situation the child will end up bearing the consequences, either being placed for adoption, or being left to be raised by a parent who can not fully care for herself, let alone provide a child with a healthy and secure environment.
Since some of you have gone there, … let’s continue.
If we’re going to force sterilization on the mentally ill because genetics are passed on and obviously no mentally ill person is capable of being a good parent, then we should also sterilize these with certain health risks such as heart/cancer or other such conditions.
Why don’t we as a society stop trying to mandate how other people live there lives and parent their children. Worry about your own children and keep your nose out of other peoples business.
And to LOL mental illness does not equate to mentally disabled.
To the arrogant Dr who has fought to sterilize patients against their will, I hope someday you come to understand you are not God and your actions have robbed a persons right to choose if this life is worth it.
A
Hi there. As a graduate student interested in biomedical ethics, I have recently become interested in this case, and have given a brief summary of some of the ethical issues regarding Moe’s case. It is not as clear cut as we might think, including issues regarding sterilization of persons with severe neurological conditions.
My discussion of this issue can be found at my blog in the following link. I really tried to be sympathetic here to all sides, yet remain critically minded:
http://rayaldred.wordpress.com/2012/11/14/the-curious-case-of-mary-moe-a-brief-survey-of-the-ethical-issues/
Bipolar is an STD – when manic, most bipolar people become hypersexual. It’s very common for bipolar people in a manic phase to get pregnant or get someone pregnant due to unprotected sex. The children thus conceived, are born carrying bipolar genes. The disease perpetuates itself. Bipolar thus is a sexually transmitted disease. Like any STD, it’s in the interest of public health to prevent the spread of STDs.
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