Question 2 of 21

Why is it so important to define when life begins?

... The debate over when life begins is heated largely because of its significance on many fronts: ethical, legal and medical, to name a few. Abortion is the most hotly debated, but so are other legal issues, such as charging double homicide if someone murders a pregnant woman, and medical/ethical issues such as stem cell research and the clinical definition of death.

Question 3 of 21

The genetic point of view states that life begins:

... The genetic point of view says that life begins exactly when fertilization occurs, or when cells form the human zygote -- the fused sperm and egg cells that develop into a human. Any sooner means these cells still are part of the parents. According to this point of view, after fertilization, the cells already have coordinated their behavior as a unique new organism.

Question 4 of 21

What are embryonic stem cells?

... Embryonic stem cells are derived from embryos, which are defined as developing human organisms from the time the egg implants in the uterus until the end of the eighth week.

Question 5 of 21

Why was there controversy over Terri Schiavo's death?

... The case of Terri Schiavo in Florida was about right-to-death issues and involved not only the wishes of a patient who could not speak for herself, but also who could make decisions about prolonging life-sustaining care when she was in a vegetative state -- her husband or parents. Special interest groups and government figures became involved in the highly publicized case.

Question 6 of 21

Why was Roe v. Wade a landmark case?

... The Roe v. Wade decision legalized abortions by first tying state regulations to allowing abortions only in women's first trimesters of pregnancy. This in effect took precedence over many restrictions on abortions in states. The decision also sided with Roe's (the mother's) right to privacy in the matter.

Question 7 of 21

How does the embryologic point of view explain the beginning of life?

... The embryologic point of view holds that life begins at gastrulation, or early embryonic form, which occurs at about 14 days. At this point, the embryo is implanted in the uterus and twinning is no longer possible. Some scientists and governments favor this view because it supports individuality, but opponents say the argument is irrelevant and that implantation is only a question of location.

Question 8 of 21

What important legal decision was issued the same day in 1973 as Roe v. Wade?

... Many follow-up cases and decisions have reinforced or weakened the Roe v. Wade decision over the years, but the Doe v. Bolton decision was released on the same day in 1973. The court found the state of Georgia's abortion requirements unconstitutional regarding "medically necessary" abortions and stated that the Doe decision should be read together with Roe v. Wade.

Question 9 of 21

How life begins is important to know, but when does it end? A person is considered dead when:

... There are differing definitions of death, too. The widely accepted clinical definition, however, is that death begins when all brain function stops and can't be reversed. This includes brain stem function. This definition is important in medical/ethical decision making, such as organ transplantation and withholding of end-of-life decision treatment.

Question 10 of 21

What is personhood?

... The definition of personhood, or the state of being a human, is used extensively in the right-to-life debate and in homicide laws around the country. Right-to-life groups say that a zygote is the beginning of a new human, and therefore deserves personhood status. States define when a fetus becomes a person a number of ways: Many say it is from the time of conception -- or any stage of development. Others define it during later stages of pregnancy or even at viability (when the fetus could sustain life outside the womb). Canadian law considers a fetus a person only upon birth.

Question 11 of 21

The neurologic point of view places human life's beginning at the gestational age of:

... The neurologic point of view relates life's beginning to a scientific definition of death, which ends when brain activity ceases. Scientists have found a distinct EEG pattern needed for human mental activity that doesn't develop until 24 to 27 weeks of gestation.

Question 12 of 21

What is an induced abortion?

... An induced abortion is an abortion that is intentional or therapeutic. In other words, the woman chooses to have it for any number of reasons. This is different from a spontaneous abortion, another term for a miscarriage, which occurs when the fetus cannot survive and the woman's body delivers the fetus before the 20th week of pregnancy. About 2 percent of pregnant women ages 15 to 44 have induced abortions and at least 15 percent to 20 percent of all pregnancies end in spontaneous abortions.

Question 13 of 21

Emergency contraception works by:

... Emergency contraception, or emergency birth control, does not work if a woman already is pregnant. It is intended for use by women whose birth control may have failed or who had sex without birth control. The pills or intrauterine devices can stop eggs from leaving the ovaries or keep sperm from joining eggs. They must be used as soon as possible after intercourse -- usually within 3 to 5 days.

Question 14 of 21

How does making abortion illegal affect the number of abortions women have around the world?

... According to the World Health Organization, many countries that place several legal restrictions on abortion have rates similar to countries with few restrictions, meaning these women are having illegal abortions, often in unsafe conditions. The lowest rates in the world occur in Western and Northern Europe, where women can have abortions with few restrictions.

Question 15 of 21

What does the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act address?

... The 2003 statute outlaws any surgical procedure used by doctors to perform abortions after 12 weeks (the second trimester) of pregnancy, regardless of whether the procedure is necessary for the pregnant woman's health. The legal definition of a partial-birth abortion in the statute details that the person intentionally delivers a living fetus in an overt act that kills it. The law was challenged, but eventually upheld by the Supreme Court in 2006.

Question 16 of 21

How many states issue "Choose Life" license plates?

... As of September 2011, about half, or 24, states offer "Choose Life" plates to their residents. The states charge from $25 to $70 in additional licensing fees for the plates and donate the proceeds.

Question 17 of 21

What does the Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 2004 address?

... The Unborn Victims of Violence Act is a federal law passed in 2004. The act also is known as "Laci and Connor's Law," after Laci Peterson and her unborn fetus Conor. It defines an in utero child as a member of the human species at any stage of development for purposes of a murder conviction.

Question 18 of 21

Which of the following is NOT present during the first 10 weeks of fetal development?

... Before the end of the embryonic period, or the eighth week of gestation and 10th week of pregnancy, the embryo should have ears (but no hearing yet) and arm and leg buds. These limbs still are made of tissue, however. The tissue doesn't become bone until well into the ninth week and continues to harden as the fetus develops, fully developing at about 27 weeks, but remaining more pliable than it will be after delivery.

Question 19 of 21

What can researchers use instead of embryonic stem cells?

... Adult stem cells are not as helpful as embryonic ones for many uses because they are limited in the types of cells they can become when developing treatments; only embryonic stem cells can become any cell in the body. Animal cells are useful for early research, but can't replace human ones. Researchers have experimented with induced pluripotent stem cells, or adult cells that have been programmed genetically to have the properties of embyronic cells and that do not sacrifice embryos when they're extracted. It's not yet known if they will be as useful, however.

Question 20 of 21

Has Roe v. Wade prevented states from passing abortion legislation?

... When the Supreme Court upheld Roe v. Wade, the decision made abortions legal in the U.S. In 2011, at least 39 states had laws prohibiting abortions except when medically necessary and others prohibited use of state funds to pay for most abortions. More than 900 measures aimed at regulating reproductive health hit state legislative agendas in the first few months of 2011 alone.

Question 21 of 21

What is a hospital ethics committee?

... A hospital ethics committee is made up of physicians and people from diverse backgrounds -- often spiritual leaders, nurses, social workers, administrators and community members -- who set policies and consult on tough issues about patient rights. They also are involved with discussing advance directives, withholding or withdrawing treatments that sustain life, informed consent and procurement of organs for transplantation. Entire fields called medical ethics and bioethics have emerged to deal with the ethical implications of biological research and medical advancements.

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