Prenatal diagnosis and selective abortion: a result of the cultural turn?

Area of Science:

• Obstetric Medicine
• Sociology
• Disability Studies

Background:

• Increasing trend of prenatal diagnosis and selective abortion of fetuses with disabilities.
• Commonly cited reasons include financial, familial, and quality-of-life considerations.
• This paper explores societal attitudes towards disability and aesthetic perfection as contributing factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of societal attitudes and the pursuit of aesthetic perfection on prenatal selective abortion.
• To examine the impact of the transition from modernity to postmodernity on the disabled community and attitudes towards disability.
• To propose further research into parental decision-making motivations in obstetric units.

Main Methods:

• Philosophical reflection on societal attitudes and cultural shifts.
• Analysis of art history to demonstrate synonymous developments.
• Hypothesis generation for future qualitative study.

Main Results:

• Suggests that societal attitudes towards disability and aesthetic perfection contribute to selective abortion trends.
• Posits that the cultural shift from modernity to postmodernity influences these attitudes.
• Indicates that this cultural turn may have had both positive and negative effects on people with disabilities.

Conclusions:

• Societal perceptions of disability and the drive for perfection may be significant, yet under-recognized, factors in prenatal selective abortion.
• The transition to postmodernity has complex implications for the disabled community.
• Further qualitative research is needed to understand parental decision-making in obstetric settings.