B1 Other refereed article (e.g., editorial, letter, comment) in a scientific journal
Defending the disease view of pregnancy: a reply to our critics
Authors: Räsänen, Joona; Smajdor, Anna
Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group
Publication year: 2024
Journal: Journal of Medical Ethics
Journal name in source: Journal of Medical Ethics
Journal acronym: J Med Ethics
Article number: jme-2024-110459
ISSN: 0306-6800
eISSN: 1473-4257
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/jme-2024-110459
Web address : http://doi.org/10.1136/jme-2024-110459
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/458438696
We recently suggested that there are both pragmatic and normative reasons to classify pregnancy as a disease. Several scholars argued against our claims. In this response, we defend the disease view of pregnancy against their criticism. We claim that the dysfunctional account of disease that some of our critics rely on has some counterintuitive results. Furthermore, we claim that our critics assume what needs to be argued that the primary function of our sexual organs is to reproduce. Since only a small percentage of sexual intercourse leads to pregnancy, it is far from obvious that reproduction is the primary biological function of our sexual organs. We also claim that while taking pregnancy itself as a reference class could avoid the conclusion that pregnancy is a disease, the strategy is problematic since it renders the Boorsean approach to disease and health circular and effectively deprives it of any utility in determining whether a particular phenomenon is a disease or not.
Downloadable publication This is an electronic reprint of the original article. |  |
Funding information in the publication:
This study was funded by HORIZON EUROPE European Innovation Council (101081293).
