akhlāq-i pizishkī i.e., Medical Ethics

Abstract

The epidemy of Covid 19 disease is a real danger of seriously endangering the safety and rights of women and infants. The true and correct diagnosis of the disease Covid 19 is still one of the concerns and challenges facing this pandemic. Over estimation or over-diagnosis of the disease may be associated with risks to the quality and quantity of sexual and reproductive health services. The four principles of medical ethics in the provision of health services are important. Regarding the principle of justice, over diagnosis of Covid 19 disease imposes additional financial burden on diagnostic and therapeutic tests. Beneficiary principle can be referred to the effectiveness of diagnostic tests in the provision of services, which due to unnecessary and unrelated diagnostic tests not only does not benefit the health of the individual, but also in terms of harm may lead to the use of unnecessary drugs, hospitalization and other consequences. Anxiety about the disease for the individual and family, fear of spreading the disease to other family members, impact on marital relationships, fear of pregnancy, fear of childbirth, stigma due to the diagnosis of Covid 19 disease, infant deprivation of breast feeding, lack of  enough care and treatment protocols are the challenges in providing sexual and reproductive health services. The need to separate mother and baby in the hospital in cases of suspected disease, the impossibility of attending and not receiving family support when receiving sexual and reproductive health services over shadows the moral principle of the right to autonomy. Women and their children need safe care following the Covid epidemic in clinical, emotional, psychological, and social dimensions. It seems that in this critical situation, the emphasis on the sensitivity of correct diagnosis and attention to the adverse consequences of misdiagnosis is considerable importance.

Cite this article as: Farajkhoda T. Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights and Challenges of Covid 19 Diagnosis. Faṣlnāmah-i akhlāq-i pizishkī i.e., Quarterly Journal of Medical Ethics. 2021; 15(46): e17.