From Iran to Latin America: must prenatal diagnosis necessarily be provided with abortion for congenital abnormalities?

Influence of Religiosity on Situational Coping Scores in Women with Malformed Fetuses

In clinical care settings, religiosity may serve as an important source of support for coping with the prenatal diagnosis of fetal abnormalities. This study evaluated the influence of religiosity on the situational coping of 28 pregnant women with fetal abnormalities. The study was approved by the institutional research ethics committee, and the informed consent document was obtained from all participants included in this study. Validated measures of religiosity and situational coping were used to evaluate data collected. Practical religiosity but not intrinsic religiosity correlated positively and significantly with coping scores. However, the severity of the fetal malformations did not correlate significantly with the scores of maternal coping. The results showed that religious practices were associated with improved coping in women diagnosed with fetal abnormalities and should be encouraged in care settings.

The Challenges and Opportunities Associated with Sickle Cell Disease Prevention, Education, and Management

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a hereditary blood disorder affecting the shape of the red blood cells that block blood vessels leading to organ damage and frequent erratic painful episodes. SCD is a global public health issue affecting millions of people throughout the world. This article explores (a) what SCD is; (b) the physical and psychosocial impacts of the disease;

Socializing the public: invoking Hannah Arendt's critique of modernity to evaluate reproductive technologies

The article examines the writings of one of the most influential political philosophers, Hannah Arendt, and specifically focuses on her views regarding the distinction between the private and the public and the transformation of the public to the social by modernity. Arendt's theory of human activity and critique of modernity are explored to critically evaluate the social contributions and implications of reproductive technologies especially where the use of such technologies is most dominant within Western societies. Focusing on empirical studies on new reproductive technologies in Israel, it is argued, powerfully demonstrates Arendt's theory, and broadens the perspectives through which society should evaluate these new technologies towards a more reflective understanding of its current laws and policies and their affect on women more generally.