A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF BIOETHICAL ISSUES FROM VIEW POINTS OF RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS ADMINISTRATION IN TURKEY, ROMAN CATHOLICISM AND ORTHODOX JUDAISM

Physician perspectives on the DNR order in Turkey: A survey of physicians in Internal Medicine

Background

Do not resuscitate (DNR) is a controversial ethico-legal issue and there is no legal regulation in Turkey. Evaluating the physicians' views on DNR is critical to the current problems and contributes to legal regulation.

Objectives

To examine the views of intensive care unit residents on DNR and the sociocultural and occupational factors affecting them.

Methods

The research is a descriptive cross-sectional study. The sample of the study consists of 203 residents of internal medicine working in the intensive care unit in a university hospital. A questionnaire form was used as a data collection tool.

Results

62.6% of the physicians know that there is no legal regulation regarding DNR in Turkey, and 14.3% think that DNR is performed. Female physicians approve of DNR at a higher rate than men (p<0.01). Physicians with more experience in the profession stated that not all patients should be performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (p<0.01), and DNR should be a right (p<0.05). The vast majority of physicians stated that DNR should be legal (88.1%) and should be included in residency training (85.6%).

Conclusions

It is necessary to establish legal regulations on DNR and implement residency training programs that will ensure the continuous professional development of physicians.

Assisted Reproductive Technologies: Comparing Abrahamic Monotheistic Religions

The impact of culture and religion on sexual and reproductive health and behavior has been a developing area of study in contemporary time. Therefore, it is crucial for people using reproductive procedures to understand the religious and theological perspectives on issues relating to reproductive health. This paper compares different perspectives of three Abrahamic faiths, i.e., Judaism, Christianity, and Islam on ARTs. Procreation, family formation, and childbirth within the context of marriage have all been advocated by these three major religions of the world. Judaism permits the use of all assisted reproductive technologies when the oocyte and sperm come from the husband and wife, respectively. The different denominations of Christianity have diverse views on reproductive practices. Although the Vatican does not approve of assisted reproduction, Protestant, Anglican, and other religious groups are free to use it. ARTs are acceptable in Sunni Islam, although they can only be carried out if the couples are married. Shia Islam, however, permits third-party donations to married couples under specific restrictions. This comparison reveals that while the three major world religions utilize assisted reproduction in distinct ways, there are also many comparable aspects of each religion.