THE BIOETHICS OF HUMAN FETAL TISSUE RESEARCH AND THERAPY - MORAL DECISION-MAKING OF PROFESSIONALS

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the decision making of professionals regard ing the ethical acceptability of using human fetal tissue from electiv e abortion for research or therapy. STUDY DESIGN: We surveyed 390 prof essionals from 20 European countries on their ethical beliefs regardin g the scientific and medical use of human fetal tissue from elective a bortion. We assessed the importance of basic medical ethics and belief s regarding the morality of abortion and fetal rights to their decisio n making. RESULTS: Sixty-six percent of 198 responding professionals b elieved that use of fetal tissue from elective abortion was ethically acceptable. Beliefs regarding the morality of elective abortion and fe tal exploitation overwhelmingly influenced individual ethics regarding fetal tissue research or therapy. CONCLUSION: Ethical decision making is a dynamic process and individuals are not altogether consistent in their beliefs. The important public policy issues raised in this stud y concern the rights of the dead fetus, whether these rights are explo ited through fetal tissue therapy, and whether women's right of author ity over the disposition of aborted fetal tissue is abdicated.