BIOETHICS
In Focus
"See more clearly when you are informed"
Bioethics is a multidisciplinary field of study which focuses on how biology, medicine, technology, and human values intersect with one another. As biotechnology continues to develop, it becomes increasingly important to understand risks and benefits of any medical procedures they undergo. Below you will find key terms, statistics, and other useful tools to understand and talk about bioethics. If you would like to know more, consider coming to an IYC event. Our next one can be found below in the section labeled Our Events. We host them virtually, on a wide range of topics, discussing policy, civics, and current events.
Key Terms You Should Know
Bioethics:
A multidisciplinary field of study which focuses on how biology, medicine, technology, and human values intersect with one another.
Informed Consent:
When patients are aware of risks and benefits of recommended treatments, and have the ability to ask questions, so they can make a well-informed decision about the care they are receiving.
Transhumanism:
The belief that humans should be able to make modifications and enhancements to their bodies using technology.
De-extinction:
The genetic resurrection of extinct species, with some modifications allowing them to adapt to today’s environment.
Ethical Relativism, Universalism, & Absolutism:
In relativism, moral truths vary between people and cultures; in universalism, moral truths do not vary between people and cultures; in absolutism, moral truths are unrelated to human nature entirely.
Moments In History
1874 - American Medical Association creates 1st Code of Ethics; Nuremberg Code later creates ethical research principles.
1969 - Biological weapons banned
by President Nixon.
2022 - The full sequence of
a Human Genome
is completed.
1932-1972 - Tuskegee Syphilis Study eventually exposed by a whistleblower;
Willowbrook experiments also occurred in 1956
1975 - Parents of Karen Ann Quinlan win the right to remove the 21 yr old’s
ventilator & feeding tube.
Statistics
6,000 stem cell transplants have occurred since 1988, according to a 2023 study from the University of Bari.
According to data from the CDC in 2021, Black women have a 2.6x greater maternal mortality rate (27 vs 70 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births).
According to a 2023 poll from Gallup, Nursing is ranked the #1 ethical profession in Americans' eyes, followed by medical doctors and pharmacists.
15,000,000 animals per year are killed for medical research, according to a study from Santa Clara University.
In a 2018 survey conducted by Pew Research Center, 72% of respondents believed that changing genetics for serious disease in an unborn child is an appropriate use of this technology.
Values
Hippocratic Oath
Justice
Morality
Beneficence
The Greater Good vs Autonomy
Notable Names
Immanuel Kant
Henrietta Lacks
Dolly The Sheep
Terri Schiavo
Jack Kevorkian
Symbols
Our Events
Past
Future
Further Resources
Bioethics Infographic
Share what you have learned about bioethics. Our Infographic has been designed to be shared easily by printing, emailing, or posting on social media. Click on the image to view or download the PDF File. (Not for commercial use.)
Much-To-Discuss Event Video
Our networking event was insightful and fun! Bioethics-related Scavenger Hunt and Trivia drive this informative event. Attendees gain insight about bioethics, while also getting to know and share their own knowledge with peers. You can also make an event out of it yourself by hosting your own Much To Discuss Watch: Bioethics Discussion Party. Feel free to share this video with others! (Not for commercial use)
Take Action
Read food labels and research globally banned foods and additives that are still available in the U.S.
Create a plan to protect your
autonomy and to advocate for
family and friends when
making medical decisions.
Become educated on the guiding principles of bioethics.
Watch a film focused on
bioethics issues, such as
Gattaca.
Share our Bioethics Infographic with friends, family, and anyone and everyone you think would appreciate becoming more informed!