Exploring Bioethics - NIH Office of Science Education - National ...

Respect• Society should respect Carl’s choices about his body, even if the useof steroids harms him, as long as no one else is physically harmedby his actions. He should have the liberty to make those decisionsfor himself.• Society should respect Carl’s choices to a certain degree but shouldnot allow Carl to make choices that can harm him physicallyor mentally.Harms and Benefits• The enhancement might be beneficial to Carl because it mighthelp him win a scholarship, and that will have important benefitsfor his future.• The enhancement might be harmful to Carl because he mightdevelop breasts, acne, baldness, a weakened immune system,stroke, cancer, and “roid rage” (become prone to angry outbursts).• The enhancement might benefit Carl’s school because Carl might beable to help his team win sports victories.• Carl’s steroid use might hurt the school’s reputation and jeopardizeits athletic standings. The school’s eligibility to participate inathletic events might be revoked.Fairness• It is fair for Carl to use the steroids because other players on histeam, on other teams, or in the league are using them.• It is fair for Carl to use the steroids because he is using them tocompensate for an injury.• It isn’t fair for Carl to use the steroids, because fairness in sportsrequires using your natural abilities, and taking steroids altersone’s natural abilities.• Competitors who have not taken steroids are at an unfairdisadvantage.NoteAuthenticity can refer to theauthenticity of the athlete, of thesport itself, or both.Authenticity• The very things people value in the sport—such as naturaltalent—are undermined when competitors take steroids.• Using steroids is no different from using other types ofenhancements, such as specially designed swimsuits. Their usewill not reduce what people value in the sport; Carl will still haveto work hard and train consistently.• Carl will still be his authentic self if he takes steroids. He wouldjust be using more of a naturally occurring substance until his bodyrecovers from the injury and gets back to its “normal” steroid levels.• Carl will not be his authentic self when he takes steroids since heis altering his physical condition with something that creates adramatic effect.1-30 Exploring Bioethics