**6. Final regards**

In different societies of which the world is made of, there is a great disagreement that occurs in the legislation and what the beliefs are. That different considering the abortion happens innumerous opportunities in that same societies that on one side the abortion as prohibited by law, but in many others the church with its vast kinds of faith see abortion as inevitable. This differentiation of acceptance in the family planning, of birth control and artificial fertilization, still worth concerning ends up left aside as a minor issue.

The family planning, the birth control, and the artificial fertilization in almost all societies, especially the more modern, are habits comprehended and possible to appeal, whatever reason it is necessary.

These variations are due to, in fact, another point of cultural difference. It is a discussion about who decides if an artificial fertilization must be made or should look to an abortion. That usually occurs when the reason for the debate is whether the fetus is a human being.

their time in their educational work respecting the laws of each country, having legal repre-

As far as abortion is concerned, there is no definitive positioning, since if they consider that interrupting life is a serious sin and that the fetus is a living being, they accept that the societies in which they are inserted have as correct and legal the established regarding the

Sex and sexual pleasure are accepted as desirable practice among those who follow Taoism and Confusion. This practice should be observed in moderation, which should also be considered in relation to reproduction and abortion as an acceptable resource. However, groups of

Other extant religions do not have many followers who may be involved in abortion either

Religions and beliefs are scattered throughout the world with evidence of a higher percentage of each of them in the various areas of the planet: the Catholic religion in South and the Center America and in the Latin countries of Europe; the Jewish religion in Israel and in all parts of the world; Protestantism in its different preaching in Europe in the Anglo-Germanic areas, as well as in the United States and Oceania. In Asia, the predominant religions are Buddhism,

From this summary analysis of family planning, there is no doubt that birth control is the process of choosing to avoid the growth of the population in order to meet the wishes of couples. In the occurrence of the failure of the proposed methods, abortion can only be used to avoid birth. However, abortion, despite being a safe and effective procedure, is under pressure from population groups motivated by what is established by law as well as by religious beliefs.

We need to focus on who wishes the pregnancy does not wish to abort it; who wishes to abort could not have or does not want the child; medicine is not contrary to abortion; nor the woman, nor the doctor are obligated to make the abortion; who decides for allowing the

In different societies of which the world is made of, there is a great disagreement that occurs in the legislation and what the beliefs are. That different considering the abortion happens innumerous opportunities in that same societies that on one side the abortion as prohibited by law, but in many others the church with its vast kinds of faith see abortion as inevitable. This differentiation of acceptance in the family planning, of birth control and artificial fertilization,

The family planning, the birth control, and the artificial fertilization in almost all societies, especially the more modern, are habits comprehended and possible to appeal, whatever reason it is necessary.

sentation, and are thus legally established as a nonprofit organization [2].

Taoists aiming at preserving life adopt views contrary to abortion [2].

Islamism, and Hinduism more or less preaching about abortion.

still worth concerning ends up left aside as a minor issue.

because they permit or restrict abortion.

procedure is the society.

**6. Final regards**

abortion [2].

292 Family Planning

Life is continuous, since its beginning the world never let it go. The discussion must rely upon the subject of when the biological being, product of a union of two living cells, the male gamete and the female, is considered a person. The conception consists in the union of two cells that multiply themselves building a conglomerate of cells that constitute a human being, which starts to be considered a person when it personalizes, meaning, when it acquires a life nonvegetative. There is nothing to mistake between a cell conglomerate and a human being. This is an ancient concern in studies, since Greece of Aristotle, we have been looking for an answer to that question. Without offering an answer, we can develop some thoughts.

The idea that from the ovule fertilization a new life emerges used to be predominant in scientific and ethical position if not accepted was not discussed. This concept led us through time, until it started to be polemic and led to ethical positions that presented contradictions and that modifies to attend the changes of technology and medicine in the human reproduction area and followed in whatever possible religious dogmas. The scientific evolution resulted in a changing in ethical position, not of those that were stuck to their religious dogmas, but to those others that considered a secular position.

The technological development of human fecundation extracorporeal, aiming at the possibility of transferring of embryo produced "in vitro" fertilization to the organism of a woman, led to a different ethical perspective.

Who should decide regarding the living being that is located in the uterus of the woman? A fundamental answer is to decide which procedure the family will use, whether that is artificial fertilization or the realization of the abortion.

The development of medicine in the example of the transplants and the possibility of human reproduction made by an assisted way brought, mainly, to those who considered life as something sacred a sensation of no safety with what was happening in this sector. Considering life as something holy, independent of the knowledge of doctors, had nothing to do with praying and waiting for divine solution.

The reflections prevenient of the academics complemented with other layers of society that brought light to the knowledge acquired by different forms of coming to the philosophical, empirics, analogic, and scientific.

The defenders of the thesis of heteronomy considered a child as a new being, although, a result of the mother, she is detached from the conception moment. In that way, it is not up to the woman to decide for the abortion, which would be homicide of the newborn.

On the other side the thesis of autonomy, by autonomy it is understood that the right of the patient to be correctly informed of its health situation and which is the action offered by the doctor, as how which are the possibilities of final results expected and having the right to offer its acceptance or not. The autonomy is self-governing, the capability to decide what is considered good and what to receive the best. The defenders of that thesis consider that the woman is the one who should decide for the birth control, for the family planning, and for the abortion.

beginning of life is, there are some aspects to have in mind, and other theory defends that a

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This era of significance of reunions brought people of various positions to discussion about what society should accept. Today, these discussions are highly forgotten, and it seems that

Anyhow, still the problem of the beginning of life is not well stabilized. To many, the biological being prevenient of the union of male and female gamete is considered when a person has

In the spiritual field in relation to the supernatural of any institutionalized form of religious

Others consider a person only when he has a civil register in the book of registers, with his

Little attention was paid to the fact that many times this union occurs after innumerous attempts and tiring efforts made in the laboratory to achieve this goal. And more is to be considered with the new experience declared, how have the objective achieved, realized with the

In the past, the idea of a new life would initialize in the fecundation of the ovule, if spread through scientific ways and ethical if not, totally accepted and not discussed. It was the word

In many occasions, during these procedures of artificial fecundation, during transfers, large quantities of embryos may evolve. The technique predicts the reducing of embryos that will be discarded if frozen for a period of maximum 5 years, to be then eliminated. It brings up the question that this technique could be considered abortive at least to those who consider as a human being the embryo since its fecundation. Still the respect to consider when it is given the beginning of life is something to have in mind. Another theory defends that life occurs when the personality develops. That usually happens in the eastern world, in which the atten-

The beginning of life is a concern that comes always to be discussed mainly in the religious perspective. Life since its first beginning never ceased to exist; the living beings die and are replaced by others, and so it has been for as long as we know. What is discussed is when a complex cause by the union of biological cells transform or is considered a person. This doubt comes also in the form of mythology from Asclepius, Aristotle, and Hippocrates, which is not solved until today. The abortion in all of its religious and ethical aspects bring more difficulties in producing a unity of opinion in societies. In some, aborting is totally prohibited in others, the process is liberated; and between these two extremes, we found some that operate with some barriers. Women's role in one culture is for sure relatively different in countries around the globe. In the eastern part of the world, the position of woman can sometimes go as high as being the

science overcame once again the beliefs, as it occurs when time passes.

In the biological field in his relation to the environment he is going to live in. In the social field in relation to the people with whom he is going to coexist.

churches or any other, but oriented by one form of values that he will believe.

personality of a person begins at birth.

name, place of birth, and date of birth.

of the religion that prevailed.

material that came from two women and a man.

tion to the new being only concretes itself at birth.

fulfilled three conditions:

From the heart of this discussion about virtues and truths and opinions about beliefs and laws, variables in diverse and different societies, it is hard if not impossible to arrive at an answer. It involves existing moral aspects.

In general, the conception driven away from laws and beliefs, the decisions should rely in the doctors' opinion because they should know, orient, and practice those processes, tied to the knowledge of science. Knowledge like these that in modern society belongs to doctors, independent of laws and of society's laws and religion. There is no doubt that the process of family planning is mutually related to birth control, and in artificial fertilization, it is being related to all those students of medicine in any area of the globe, such as the techniques of abortion. The same relates to ethical and moral aspects of medicine, that for legality reasons need to attach to the determination of legal standards in all countries, independent of their political position.

Of all ways, the final decision goes to the mother. There is no living human being that did not come from a mother, always biological, is real, being that uterus rented or borrowed, today known as belly for rent. The father not always is known; in different societies, many children do not know their father.

Until the beginning of the past century, the 1920s of the twentieth century, humanity did not have the real concern with population increase. There was room for everybody. It was after that time that Malthus' concerns appeared and medicine and science began to have a more emphasized point of view with population aspects in the globe. It was the beginning of the birth control and afterward a little more over half the century the first test-tube baby came to life, consolidating the artificial fertilization that is made in such a number that it is impossible of being recognized that the conception was made in a laboratory.

The first test-tube baby of the world was called Louise Brown and was born in July 25th of 1978, in Bristol, England. Living in England, she has two children that were born of natural birth. She has a sister, also brought to life in an artificial environment. Time has passed; with the successful attempt made in England, others were made throughout the world. Australia, in 1980, had its first successful attempt. In 1981, the first test-tube baby from the USA was born. In the following year in France a new test-tube baby was born. It was only in 1984 in Brazil, São José dos Pinhais, in Paraná 7th October came to life Anna Paula Caldeira. In 1986, it was Portugal the home land of a test-tube baby that played professional Football in his early years.

In the present, nothing more concerns the world that has seen much successful artificial fertilization with the birth of a new child came from three human beings, two women and a man, not only more than a father and a mother. And what is to come?

"The future belongs to god" some would say. Will they be right? It was believed by some that children were prevenient of a holy will and that no man could give birth without god's will.

According to different cultures, in which religious values are strong, doctrine, and dogmas of various existing religions, the beginning of life is given in the moment of the conception, meaning, in the union of the male spermatozoid with the female ovule. Others beliefs more liberal consider different and diverse occasions. Still in respect to considering when the beginning of life is, there are some aspects to have in mind, and other theory defends that a personality of a person begins at birth.

This era of significance of reunions brought people of various positions to discussion about what society should accept. Today, these discussions are highly forgotten, and it seems that science overcame once again the beliefs, as it occurs when time passes.

Anyhow, still the problem of the beginning of life is not well stabilized. To many, the biological being prevenient of the union of male and female gamete is considered when a person has fulfilled three conditions:

In the biological field in his relation to the environment he is going to live in.

good and what to receive the best. The defenders of that thesis consider that the woman is the one who should decide for the birth control, for the family planning, and for the abortion.

From the heart of this discussion about virtues and truths and opinions about beliefs and laws, variables in diverse and different societies, it is hard if not impossible to arrive at an

In general, the conception driven away from laws and beliefs, the decisions should rely in the doctors' opinion because they should know, orient, and practice those processes, tied to the knowledge of science. Knowledge like these that in modern society belongs to doctors, independent of laws and of society's laws and religion. There is no doubt that the process of family planning is mutually related to birth control, and in artificial fertilization, it is being related to all those students of medicine in any area of the globe, such as the techniques of abortion. The same relates to ethical and moral aspects of medicine, that for legality reasons need to attach to the determination of legal standards in all countries, independent of their political position. Of all ways, the final decision goes to the mother. There is no living human being that did not come from a mother, always biological, is real, being that uterus rented or borrowed, today known as belly for rent. The father not always is known; in different societies, many children

Until the beginning of the past century, the 1920s of the twentieth century, humanity did not have the real concern with population increase. There was room for everybody. It was after that time that Malthus' concerns appeared and medicine and science began to have a more emphasized point of view with population aspects in the globe. It was the beginning of the birth control and afterward a little more over half the century the first test-tube baby came to life, consolidating the artificial fertilization that is made in such a number that it is impossible

The first test-tube baby of the world was called Louise Brown and was born in July 25th of 1978, in Bristol, England. Living in England, she has two children that were born of natural birth. She has a sister, also brought to life in an artificial environment. Time has passed; with the successful attempt made in England, others were made throughout the world. Australia, in 1980, had its first successful attempt. In 1981, the first test-tube baby from the USA was born. In the following year in France a new test-tube baby was born. It was only in 1984 in Brazil, São José dos Pinhais, in Paraná 7th October came to life Anna Paula Caldeira. In 1986, it was Portugal the home land of a test-tube baby that played professional Football in his early years. In the present, nothing more concerns the world that has seen much successful artificial fertilization with the birth of a new child came from three human beings, two women and a man,

"The future belongs to god" some would say. Will they be right? It was believed by some that children were prevenient of a holy will and that no man could give birth without god's will. According to different cultures, in which religious values are strong, doctrine, and dogmas of various existing religions, the beginning of life is given in the moment of the conception, meaning, in the union of the male spermatozoid with the female ovule. Others beliefs more liberal consider different and diverse occasions. Still in respect to considering when the

of being recognized that the conception was made in a laboratory.

not only more than a father and a mother. And what is to come?

answer. It involves existing moral aspects.

do not know their father.

294 Family Planning

In the social field in relation to the people with whom he is going to coexist.

In the spiritual field in relation to the supernatural of any institutionalized form of religious churches or any other, but oriented by one form of values that he will believe.

Others consider a person only when he has a civil register in the book of registers, with his name, place of birth, and date of birth.

Little attention was paid to the fact that many times this union occurs after innumerous attempts and tiring efforts made in the laboratory to achieve this goal. And more is to be considered with the new experience declared, how have the objective achieved, realized with the material that came from two women and a man.

In the past, the idea of a new life would initialize in the fecundation of the ovule, if spread through scientific ways and ethical if not, totally accepted and not discussed. It was the word of the religion that prevailed.

In many occasions, during these procedures of artificial fecundation, during transfers, large quantities of embryos may evolve. The technique predicts the reducing of embryos that will be discarded if frozen for a period of maximum 5 years, to be then eliminated. It brings up the question that this technique could be considered abortive at least to those who consider as a human being the embryo since its fecundation. Still the respect to consider when it is given the beginning of life is something to have in mind. Another theory defends that life occurs when the personality develops. That usually happens in the eastern world, in which the attention to the new being only concretes itself at birth.

The beginning of life is a concern that comes always to be discussed mainly in the religious perspective. Life since its first beginning never ceased to exist; the living beings die and are replaced by others, and so it has been for as long as we know. What is discussed is when a complex cause by the union of biological cells transform or is considered a person. This doubt comes also in the form of mythology from Asclepius, Aristotle, and Hippocrates, which is not solved until today.

The abortion in all of its religious and ethical aspects bring more difficulties in producing a unity of opinion in societies. In some, aborting is totally prohibited in others, the process is liberated; and between these two extremes, we found some that operate with some barriers.

Women's role in one culture is for sure relatively different in countries around the globe. In the eastern part of the world, the position of woman can sometimes go as high as being the leader of the nation. Such event occurred in Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Chile, and others, as it is permitted by law. In other countries, the women are segregated from man in various activities such as being with her husband and her friends as well as it is prohibited to go to the beach with bikini. Some cultures ask for the women to cover the face at all times and some do not even allow them to drive cars.

As for the abortion, the doctor has almost always the same concern to, varying very little from society to society, what concerns are the religious belief and the local legislation in which the Hippocrates oath is sworn. In this oath, made by Apollo the doctor, Asclepius, Hygeia, and Panacea, it is said that one shall never give abortion substances to his/her patients. The funda-

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Women, on the other hand, besides having the legislation concern, that in some countries can led to death penalty also have the religious concern. The doctor makes the procedure when searched by a patient because it is his duty. The woman looks for it for many reasons. The main and most frequent reason that leads a woman into this path is rape, known internationally as a valid and justifiable reason and legal in many countries. Other reasons are the therapeutic reason, the eugenic, and the incestuous. Women claim the abortion justification in many reasons, especially when the presence of fetus with anomalies in formation is noted, which leads them into a small life after birth. This last point exemplifies well the important fact for quality of life: which life quality that a very poor women can provide for a child that was abandoned by his dad or kicked out of her house by the family? Unfortunately, these

The abortion liberation finds its support in the autonomy right. The woman desires, the protection of the female health, the condition of the family, the consent or not of the partner are reasons for which the abortion is made. All humans should be responsible and able to decide for themselves regardless of which reason justifies this action. This choice between the

The woman who is openly informed of the risks submits herself to this kind of procedure and decides what is best in a transparent way; scientific medicine is considered the best at maxi-

The problem of abortion is to be considered the most important aspect of family planning,

[1] Meira AR. Society and Health: An Introduction to the Notions of Social Sciences Applied to Health. Campo Grande: Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul; 1997. 104 pp

artificial fertilization, and birth control, which are of less resistance in other societies.

Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil

mental is not to suffer any problems with the local legislation.

woman and the doctor should not be made under the black market.

aspects are usually not accounted.

mum 12 weeks for the process to be made.

Address all correspondence to: armeira@usp.br

**Author details**

**References**

Affonso Renato Meira

The women's sexual aspect tends to vary as time changes and as society shapes it.

Between all aspects, the ones that are tied to the population's health are to be looked closely. The aspect of abortion regulation is a problem that shows a hard example for dialog building due to the fact that there are very opposite opinions. Values and aspects for dealing with sex and abortion by the health system point of view vary within society's ethical and legal standards. Anyway, the pattern of behavior shows that in many situations the ideal way to deal with the abortion is far from what is indeed done, breaking ethics, laws, and health protocols. The scenario shown allows us to interpret that countries with different religious aspects, geographical location, and political system do treat the abortion theme differently. The abortion as well as the artificial fertilization, family planning regulation, is much more a socio-political aspect of life than scientific, even though the risk of an intervention is very low.

What we can learn going through history is that abortion legalized or prohibited according to its cultural aspects is always a practice within the society. Legislation of all countries has gone in different ways following the scientific and social founding. Basically, two different positions are very evident.

One of this positions deny the possibility of the realization of the abortion process in any condition, usually tied to the catholic followers, and of others that consider that the life of a person starts in the conception, that being, when the sperm meets the ovule. It is a position defended by other churches and religious groups that say that life starts before the act of being born as the Islam and Judaism say. Others consider that life starts when the person is born, when the biological has in society a social position as a person. The different beliefs tend to alter the human being's positions. It is not a matter of criticizing but to respect. Anyhow, it is important to quote that Gafo, Spanish catholic priest, in his writings shows a different approach using the bible saying that it does not condemn abortion explicitly.

Another position is the one of acceptance of the abortion process, with or without some regulation. It is without a doubt the biggest position in the world. The abortion made with a justifiable argument does not face any kind of punishment. The variations occur in types of justifications accepted and go from the very rigorous to almost stopping the realization. The most accepted justifications are the abortions that are called therapeutic in which the life of the pregnant woman is in danger, whereas the eugenic abortions are made when the fetus shows anomalies. Apart from these cases, the other reason is that the pregnancy is a result of rape or an incestuous relation.

These justifications are based on defending the woman's health. Justifications for social reasons are not remembered, but by those, innumerous women are led into making an abortion in an illicit way.

As for the abortion, the doctor has almost always the same concern to, varying very little from society to society, what concerns are the religious belief and the local legislation in which the Hippocrates oath is sworn. In this oath, made by Apollo the doctor, Asclepius, Hygeia, and Panacea, it is said that one shall never give abortion substances to his/her patients. The fundamental is not to suffer any problems with the local legislation.

Women, on the other hand, besides having the legislation concern, that in some countries can led to death penalty also have the religious concern. The doctor makes the procedure when searched by a patient because it is his duty. The woman looks for it for many reasons. The main and most frequent reason that leads a woman into this path is rape, known internationally as a valid and justifiable reason and legal in many countries. Other reasons are the therapeutic reason, the eugenic, and the incestuous. Women claim the abortion justification in many reasons, especially when the presence of fetus with anomalies in formation is noted, which leads them into a small life after birth. This last point exemplifies well the important fact for quality of life: which life quality that a very poor women can provide for a child that was abandoned by his dad or kicked out of her house by the family? Unfortunately, these aspects are usually not accounted.

The abortion liberation finds its support in the autonomy right. The woman desires, the protection of the female health, the condition of the family, the consent or not of the partner are reasons for which the abortion is made. All humans should be responsible and able to decide for themselves regardless of which reason justifies this action. This choice between the woman and the doctor should not be made under the black market.

The woman who is openly informed of the risks submits herself to this kind of procedure and decides what is best in a transparent way; scientific medicine is considered the best at maximum 12 weeks for the process to be made.

The problem of abortion is to be considered the most important aspect of family planning, artificial fertilization, and birth control, which are of less resistance in other societies.
