Personhood Amendment

On November 8th Mississippi voters will be asked to decide on a proposed amendment to the state constitution, which would define as a person “every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning, or the functional equivalent thereof.” For most voters it sounds like a good idea and it will most probably pass. Therefore, several other states, including Florida http://personhoodfl.com/, are preparing similar constitutional amendments. Florida Senate Majority Leader and former US Senate Candidate Mike Haridopolos recently signed the FL Personhood Amendment!! The ambiguous language in the Florida and Mississippi 'personhood' amendment are intentionally not being represented properly by the proponents of this ballot initiative. A recent New York Times article http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/31/opinion/mississippis-ambiguous-personhood-amendment.html correctly points out the following problems: "First, what does “fertilization” mean? As embryologists recognize, fertilization is a process, a continuum, rather than a fixed point. The term “fertilization” — which is sometimes considered synonymous with “conception” — could mean at least four different things: penetration of the egg by a sperm, assembly of the new embryonic genome, successful activation of that genome, and implantation of the embryo in the uterus. The first occurs immediately; the last occurs approximately two weeks after insemination (or, in the case of embryos created through in vitro fertilization that do not get implanted, never). Thus, on some reasonable readings of the amendment, certain forms of birth control, stem cell derivation and the destruction of embryos created through in vitro fertilization would seem impermissible, while on other equally reasonable readings they are not." Following the "logic" of the "personhood" advocates doctors can be charged with manslaughter or even murder by prescribing morning after pills, because it can irritate the lining of the uterus (endometrium) so as to inhibit implantation of a fertilized egg, i.e. "killing a person." A doctor could also be criminally charged by inserting an IUD because it adversely affects a new embryo as it enters the uterus, thus preventing it from implanting in the uterine lining . Again, according to the "personhood" advocates this constitutes the "killing of a person." Even though, abortions are still being protected by federal law women may still face criminal charges according to state law. Other unintended consequences include the question if the treatment of an ectopic or a molar pregnancy requires first a court order to overrule a "personhood" amendment in the respective state constitution. Needless to mention that any delay of these time-sensitive treatment decisions may harm the mother and even jeopardize the life and well-being of a women. I urge all of you to speak up against any such ballot initiatives, to protect the physician-patient relationship and to guard against further state intrusion into our lives. Yours Bernd