RESERVATION OF CONSCIENCE EXERCISED BY HEALTH PROFESSIONALS IN THE CASE OF ABORTION

There is a provision in International Code of Medical Ethics of the World Medical Association 1949 stating that doctors must always bear in mind the obligation of preserving human life from conception and that therapeutic abortion may only be performed if the conscience of the doctor and the national laws permit. Without any question, attitudes towards abortion changed a lot since the end of 40' s. Traditions, culture, religion and history of each country influence them the most. No matter how the majority deals with the issue, personal feelings of every member of society are very individual and legal regulation of abortion has almost no effect on that. Profession of doctors of medicine may serve as a good example of the fact that personal attitudes of each of us may influence us in our work as well. That is why those situations may happen nowadays as well that concience of the doctor contravene performing abortion the patient is claiming. Basic human rights appertain to everyone with no regard to his age, sex, race or any other characteristic that differ people one from each other. Excercise of profession could serve as an example here. Even though freedom of thought, conscience and religion is definitely one of basic human rights we can not conclude that health professionals are able to manifest their conscious objection in the case of patients asking for what contravene their religion. They cannot invoke their human rights to violate the human rights of others. This problem will be described in details here