Abstract
The Catholic Church proscribes methods of birth control other than sexual abstinence. Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recognizes abstinence as an acceptable method of birth control in research studies, some pharmaceutical companies mandate the use of artificial contraceptive techniques to avoid pregnancy as a condition for participation in their studies. These requirements are unacceptable at Catholic health care institutions, leading to conflicts among institutional review boards, clinical investigators, and sponsors. Subjects may feel coerced by such mandates to adopt contraceptive techniques inconsistent with their personal situation and beliefs; women committed to celibacy or who engage exclusively in non-heterosexual activities are negatively impacted. We propose principles to insure informed consent to safeguard the rights of research subjects at Catholic institutions while mitigating this ethical conflict. At the same time, our proposal respects the interests of pharmaceutical research agencies and Catholic moral precepts, and fully abides by regulatory guidance.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 34-37 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | American Journal of Bioethics |
| Volume | 12 |
| Issue number | 7 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jul 2012 |
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All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Health Policy
- Issues, ethics and legal aspects
Cite this
Ethical Dilemma of Mandated Contraception in Pharmaceutical Research at Catholic Medical Institutions. / Casey, Murray J.; O'Brien, Richard; Rendell, Marc; Salzman, Todd A.
In: American Journal of Bioethics, Vol. 12, No. 7, 07.2012, p. 34-37.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Ethical Dilemma of Mandated Contraception in Pharmaceutical Research at Catholic Medical Institutions
AU - Casey, Murray J.
AU - O'Brien, Richard
AU - Rendell, Marc
AU - Salzman, Todd A.
PY - 2012/7
Y1 - 2012/7
N2 - The Catholic Church proscribes methods of birth control other than sexual abstinence. Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recognizes abstinence as an acceptable method of birth control in research studies, some pharmaceutical companies mandate the use of artificial contraceptive techniques to avoid pregnancy as a condition for participation in their studies. These requirements are unacceptable at Catholic health care institutions, leading to conflicts among institutional review boards, clinical investigators, and sponsors. Subjects may feel coerced by such mandates to adopt contraceptive techniques inconsistent with their personal situation and beliefs; women committed to celibacy or who engage exclusively in non-heterosexual activities are negatively impacted. We propose principles to insure informed consent to safeguard the rights of research subjects at Catholic institutions while mitigating this ethical conflict. At the same time, our proposal respects the interests of pharmaceutical research agencies and Catholic moral precepts, and fully abides by regulatory guidance.
AB - The Catholic Church proscribes methods of birth control other than sexual abstinence. Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recognizes abstinence as an acceptable method of birth control in research studies, some pharmaceutical companies mandate the use of artificial contraceptive techniques to avoid pregnancy as a condition for participation in their studies. These requirements are unacceptable at Catholic health care institutions, leading to conflicts among institutional review boards, clinical investigators, and sponsors. Subjects may feel coerced by such mandates to adopt contraceptive techniques inconsistent with their personal situation and beliefs; women committed to celibacy or who engage exclusively in non-heterosexual activities are negatively impacted. We propose principles to insure informed consent to safeguard the rights of research subjects at Catholic institutions while mitigating this ethical conflict. At the same time, our proposal respects the interests of pharmaceutical research agencies and Catholic moral precepts, and fully abides by regulatory guidance.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84862314670&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/15265161.2012.680532
DO - 10.1080/15265161.2012.680532
M3 - Article
C2 - 22694032
AN - SCOPUS:84862314670
VL - 12
SP - 34
EP - 37
JO - American Journal of Bioethics
JF - American Journal of Bioethics
SN - 1526-5161
IS - 7
ER -