Defense Date

11-10-2016

Graduation Date

Fall 1-1-2016

Availability

Worldwide Access

Submission Type

dissertation

Degree Name

PhD

Department

Health Care Ethics

School

McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts

Committee Chair

Henk ten Have

Committee Member

Gerard Magill

Committee Member

Joris Gielen

Keywords

bioethics, fertility preservation, healthcare ethics, hope

Abstract

Fertility preservation has many different indications and covers a wide variety of demographics. One major motivation for the use of fertility preservation is hope. When discussing fertility preservation, healthcare professionals present several options, but choosing which type of fertility preservation to pursue is a difficult decision. This dissertation will argue not only that hope is one of the basic drivers for making a decision regarding fertility preservation, but also the current methods for fertility preservation create a reliance on hope. Hope can determine if a patient chooses the safest option or seeks out more radical experimentation or whether to delay cancer treatment in order to seek fertility preservation. The role of hope in medicine has been researched for a long time. Although there have been studies aiming to understand the relation between hope, survival, and recovery, the role of hope in fertility preservation is not well explored. This dissertation will argue that fertility preservation can benefit from better appreciating the role of hope. Fertility preservation should take the dependence on hope seriously, but still be concerned that while promoting hope it does not create a false expectation. The aim of the dissertation is to ethically examine the connection between fertility preservation and hope.

Format

PDF

Language

English

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