Defending the disease view of pregnancy: a reply to our critics

: Räsänen, Joona; Smajdor, Anna

Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group

: 2024

: Journal of Medical Ethics

: J Med Ethics

: jme-2024-110459

: 0306-6800

: 1473-4257

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/jme-2024-110459

: http://doi.org/10.1136/jme-2024-110459

: 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.

AAM_BMJ-Rasanan-Smajdor_2024.pdf

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This study was funded by HORIZON EUROPE European Innovation Council (101081293).