An excerpt from my class discussion in Information Ethics.
In October of last year, the MYA Network released photographs of embryonic tissue at various stages of early pregnancy. The stated goal for releasing these photos was “to counter misinformation with facts about what pregnancy tissue looks like in an early abortion or miscarriage.” (MYA Network, 2022) This was several months after the Dobbs decision by the US Supreme Court overturned five decades of access to life-saving abortions. Noor (2022) wrote about the photos when they were released, describing how anti-abortion misinformation has thoroughly permeated US culture to the point that most don’t understand what fetal tissue might look like at various stages of development.
This misinformation directly impacts the discussion around reproductive justice and medical access, leading at least 12 states to pass laws prohibiting abortion at 6 weeks or earlier, which is often before someone knows they may be pregnant. The definition and exercise of reproductive rights depend on access to accurate information. The UDHR lists access to medical care as a universal human right, with special mention of reproductive healthcare. Medical professionals and information communicators have an ethical obligation to present factual, accurate information about healthcare, rather than distorting the truth in service of a biased religious or political viewpoint.
Note: both the Guardian article and the MYA Network page include the aforementioned photographs. They are not graphic but they are accurate. Please decide carefully how you engage with these resources.
MYA Network. (2022, October 12). The issue of tissue. https://myanetwork.org/the-issue-of-tissue/
Noor, P. (2022, October 19). What a pregnancy actually looks like before 10 weeks. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/18/pregnancy-weeks-abortion-tissue