The cornerstone of all human rights of individuals is the right to life granted to us by society because we are human. The right to life started the debate about when exactly life begins, leading to the adoption of laws and regulations granting humans leeway in reproductive rights. But whatever laws grant reproductive rights, there are many other laws that challenge them based on their personal moral and ethical codes. Ethical conditions under which doctors can perform abortions Doctors can perform indirect abortions if the life or health of the mother is in danger. risk or danger. According to the principle of double effect, doctors' attempt to remove a medical condition that indirectly ends the woman's pregnancy is considered ethical by the Catholic Church (Ascension Health, Abortion, 2011). There are other doctors and many ethicists outside of Catholicism who believe that the life or health of the mother must be protected regardless of the direct or indirect nature of the abortion and they too invoke a double effect. Bellieni and Buonocore (2006) report that it is an ethically accepted practice during in vitro fertilization (IVF) to eliminate embryos after the fertilization cycle in order to have a healthy child. Benatar (2006) states that people engaged in procreation that poses a very high risk of harm should then be prohibited or prevented if the benefit outweighs the moral cost. Applicable State and Federal Laws and Regulations Relating to Abortion The best known and most controversial federal laws and regulations governing abortion are the Supreme Court's 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade. The Supreme Court, under the 14th Amendment, struck down state laws that prohibited the granting of abortion... middle of article......&Itemid=172.Bellieni, C. & Buonocore, G. (2006). Assisted Reproduction: Too little consideration for babies? Ethics and Medicine, 22(2), 93-8. Retrieved February 7, 2011, from Research Library. (Document ID: 1129967071). Benatar, D. (2006). Reproductive freedom and risk. Human Reproduction, 21(10), 2491-3. Retrieved February 7, 2011 from http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/content/21/10/2491.full.pdf+html. Curlin, FA, Lawrence, RE, Chin, MH and Lantos, JD (2007). Religion, conscience and controversial clinical practices. The New England Journal of Medicine, 356(6), 593-600. Retrieved February 19, 2011, from ProQuest Medical Library. (Document ID: 1212653521).McLachlan, H. V. (1997). Bodies, rights and abortion. Journal of Medical Ethics, 23(3), 176. Retrieved February 19, 2011, from ProQuest Medical Library. (document ID: 13074275).