Anencephaly and the interruption of pregnancy: policy proposals for HECs

This article is directed to hospital communities where absolute proscriptions exist against abortion. The assumption is that many will be Catholic institutions and therefore Catholic moral teachings are examined carefully. By addressing anti-abortion arguments in the context of anencephaly, I hope to show that within even the most conservative moral traditions, humane exceptions to absolute proscriptions against abortion can be justified. More specifically, the article is directed to HECs which either have unstated or ambiguous policies on abortion. It will attempt to show what a reasonable policy could look like and how it could be defended. For committee members not involved in policy questions about abortion, it may stimulate some ethical discussion.