Synopsis:
Whether, with whom, and when to have children are among the most precious of our private decisions. Increasingly, however, the interest of others in these decisions raise difficult questions about the role of government and health professionals in influencing reproductive choice. Nowhere is this tension felt more keenly than in the context of HIV and AIDS. This book takes on the tough issues related to HIV and childbearing: Is there a moral right to have children? What are the limits of persuasion? Are there constitutional constraints on interference with reproduction? What are the precedents with restricting the childbearing behavior of women who use drugs? The book includes original work by doctors, lawyers, ethicists, and public health professionals. Also included are the experiences of HIV-infected women and their health care providers. Interviews were conducted over a two-year period with HIV-infected women and with health care providers from four cities to examine what issues of childbearing in the context of HIV mean to them. The book is divided into four sections on medical and public health issues, legal issues, ethical and social issues, and comments from the community. It concludes with recommendations for clinical practice and public policy. Public policy makers, health care providers, practitioners in bioethics, pediatrics, health law, and obstetrics/gynecology will find this book invaluable when dealing with issues related to HIV and childbearing.
About the Author:
Ruth R. Faden, Ph.D., M.P.H., is the Philip Franklin Wagley Professor of Biomedical Ethics and Director of the Bioethics Institute at Johns Hopkins University. From 1994-1995, she was appointed by President Clinton to chair the Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments. Dr. Faden has published extensively in ethics and health policy, research ethics, and health behavior.
Nancy E. Kass, Sc.D., is Assistant Professor in the Program in Law, Ethics, and Health of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. Dr. Kass has conducted research and authored numerous publications in bioethics and health policy, with particular focus on issues related to HIV and genetics. She also testifies and conducts advocacy work with Maryland's AIDS Legislative Committee.
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