Spriggs Merle P
Ethics Unit, Murdoch Childrens' Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.
Med J Aust. 2004 Sep 20;181(6):319-21. doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2004.tb06297.x.
The case of a 13-year-old girl given permission by the Family Court of Australia to begin a sex-change process involves complex issues. Nevertheless, the ethical justification for the decision is not complicated. In this case, it can be argued that the net benefit eclipses concerns about competence, autonomy and the appropriateness of the intervention. The debate this case generated in the media reminds us that one of the essential tasks in ethics debates is to get our facts straight.
澳大利亚家庭法院批准一名13岁女孩开始变性程序的案例涉及复杂问题。然而,该决定的伦理依据并不复杂。在本案中,可以认为净收益超过了对行为能力、自主性和干预适当性的担忧。此案在媒体上引发的辩论提醒我们,伦理辩论的一项基本任务是厘清事实。