A compreensão jurídica, médica e "leiga" do embrião em Portugal: um alinhamento com a biologia?

Abstract

Pretende-se contribuir para o debate em torno dos processos de circulação de conhecimentos e sentidos entre especialistas e "leigos" no que concerne ao estatuto dos embriões humanos em Portugal. Reflete-se sobre as expectativas e preocupações manifestadas quanto à confiança, qualidade, segurança e eficácia das tecnologias médicas de reprodução assistida. O estudo assenta na realização de entrevistas individuais, com vistas a explorar as complexidades, similitudes e diferenças entre as visões e os valores de juristas, médicos e casais envolvidos em tratamentos de fertilização in vitro. Trata-se de uma análise qualitativa em um estudo de caso. Se os juristas e os médicos enquadram o estatuto dos embriões em categorias de índole biológica, técnica e/ou jurídico-legal, já os casais estabelecem com os mesmos diversas relações ontológicas de índole moral, afetiva e social, pelo que estes podem ser representados como seres éticos face à biologização médico-legal dos embriões.

The construction of meaning by experts and would‐be parents in assisted reproductive technology

“…The interviewees described other situations that could be ‘uncomfortable’, namely: heterogeneity and intermittence of doctors; emphasis on economic criteria; poor cognitive medical skills; ‘inadequate’ or ‘wrong’ medical proposals; and ‘insufficient’ or ‘incomplete’ information about clinical situation and/or certain medical and technical procedures. When facing these situations, the interviewees declared that they would further evaluate experts’ knowledge and practices with the objective of minimising limitations of ART; for example, interviewees looked for an expert considered more competent or an IVF clinic with a higher success rate; repetition of medical tests in reliable laboratories; and search for information about ART (Silva and Machado 2008, 2009b). Looking for information in several sources at national and international level was mainly described as a duty of the users of ART rather than assuming the right to be correctly informed by clinical practitioners; for example, one male interviewee stated that ‘people cannot go to these treatments expecting all the information from the doctor; if someone has a specific doubt, they have to search [for information]’.…”

“…The interviewees’ views on ovarian stimulation (Silva and Machado 2010b), and the existence of surplus embryos (Silva and Machado 2009b), also emphasised social, emotional, affective and moral dimensions in the would‐be parents understanding of benefits and risks of ART. The majority of interviewees agreed with cryopreservation of human embryos in order to use them in the future.…”

Epidemiology - Current Perspectives on Research and Practice

“…Another subject is related with the presence of social inequalities in access and use of medical care in the field of in vitro fertilization treatments in Portugal, as well as the couples' narratives about cryopreservation of embryos (Silva & Machado, 2009b), which are usually accompanied by strong emotions. Silva still remembers an acute feeling of exhaustion at the end of an individual qualitative interview with a woman who was crying uncontrollably during the first five minutes of the interview.…”