In perspective, Cuban society seems to be quite traditional and autochthonous. It is dominated by the principles of traditions that are passed down from generation to generation. The process of giving birth to a child is considered a holiday for Cubans, and the family supports the woman after giving birth in every possible way. In the event of death, Cubans are quite open about expressing their feelings of grief. As Cubans are religious people, they deeply honor the memory of the dead and conduct various religious rituals. It is considered that for modern Cubans, termination of pregnancy is a normal practice, since it is a personal choice of everyone. However, for Catholic believers, abortion is still a great sin. Thus, the termination of a pregnancy in an adult woman is considered an unacceptable practice among religious people in Cuba.
Being the nurse anesthetist for Mrs. Hernandez’s surgical termination of pregnancy and a part-time Catholic believer, I have the right to refuse to have an abortion. However, this option becomes possible only if it does not endanger the life of the patient. In the case of Mrs. Hernandez there is a significant threat since the pregnancy takes place at a fairly late maternal age. In this way, my duties include continuing to monitor the patient’s condition, as well as performing an operation to terminate the pregnancy.
I become obligated to perform an abortion on the patient since the fetus is found to have a genetic pathology, while a late pregnancy threatens the life of Mrs. Hernandez. If I, as a responsible person, refuse to perform an abortion, there will be professional consequences. As mentioned earlier, refusal to terminate a pregnancy for personal religious beliefs is possible only if there is no threat to life. However, two obstacles to refusing an abortion have been identified, which obliges me as a doctor to fulfill my responsibility. In this case, the hospital may impose a fine or reprimand. This is due to the fact that the legal framework does not allow me to refuse to perform the operation.
References
Berer, M. Abortion law and policy around the world: in search of decriminalization. Health and human rights. 2017; 19(1); 13.
Marecek, J., Macleod, C., & Hoggart, L. Abortion in legal, social, and healthcare contexts. 2017.
Valdes, J. A., & Delgado, V. People of Cuban Heritage. In Textbook for Transcultural Health Care: A Population Approach. 2021; 321-341.