Vera's homework

Summary

Substance abusing pregnant women go through health problems which include sexual transmitted diseases, HIV, hepatitis B and C, anaemia caused by iron and folic acid deficiency, malnutrition related lack of appetite, liver diseases, absorption abnormalities and vitamin and mineral deficiencies (Fischer, et al 1999). All of the above symptoms make it very dangerous for babies which are born by drug and alcohol addicts. In spite of this, it is hard to get pregnant drug addicts to take medical treatments due to the fear of facing legal confrontations and the feel that female treatment programs are uniformed. Therefore, addiction in pregnancy causes increased morbidity and mortality in mother and infant if there is no adequate professional treatment available (Finnegan, 1995).

However, according to the point of view of Renee Chelian which is the president of the MARAL——the Michigan affiliate of NARAL (National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws) Pro-Choice America, the CRACK program makes the reproductive rights of women being threatened. And instead of making effort on improving the lives of women who are struggling to get rid of drug and alcohol addiction, the CRACK program is strictly focused on birth control of these women and simply try to stop them from having children. The ethical concern is that like many other diseases of illnesses, drug abuse can be cured with the right treatment. The approach of the CRACK program has been criticized by medical professionals and addiction specialists which pointing out that the option of sterilization should be offered as a part of a more comprehensive plan for drug-abused women by health care professionals (Renee Chelian, 2003). Due to the ethical issues have been raised along with the growing of CRACK, the program can be viewed as punishment of drug-addicted women's behaviour during their pregnancy and even as the condemnation before they get pregnant.

The purpose of the CRACK program is to stop drug and alcohol abusers from giving birth to babies who have illness as the moment they are being born. Because drug and alcohol abuse during pregnancy will cause lots of serious health problems to the babies, such as HIV and nutrition deficiency. The more babies the drug abusers give birth to, the heavier the burden it leaves to the society. However, ethical questions have been asked about CRACK. Since the program is focused on reducing the birth of babies with illness, it doesn't consider the right of the drug-addicted mothers who go through hard times during their pregnancy. CRACK affects the reproductive rights of drug addicts and it ignores the truth that drug addiction can be cured. Drug addicts shouldn't be punished and condemned for giving birth just because their behaviour.



Reference: Ficher G. et al (1999), Review article: Pregnancy and Substance Abuse, In 'Arch Womens Ment Health (1999) 2:57-65

http://www.springerlink.com/content/h9drvm1c9t3dw4ym/fulltext.pdf

Renee Chelian (2003), Remarks on the "CRACK" Program: Coercing Women's Reproductive Choices, In Journal of Law in Society, vol. 5:187 2003

http://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/jls5&div=11&g_sent=1&collection=journals#195