Forget Abortion. What about the ethics of conjoined twins?

[mistermack]

Say there is a set of conjoined twins. One is viable if separated. The other is not, and could never survive on it's own.

What if the complete one demanded to be separated?
Does the other one have any say in the matter?
If you deny the right to separation, you are forcing the viable one to support someone, to stay joined to another human being against their wishes.
If you insist that they have a right to be separated if one wishes, you are condemning the non-viable one to death. Forcing him to undergo an operation that will kill him.

I wonder if it's ever happened?

[Tero]

Chop chop.

[JimC]

It usually occurs when they are babies, and cannot consent or not. Parental consent is needed. Often, if the operation is not performed, the twin with a chance of survival at the moment will get weaker over time, so it becomes a choice between either one death or two.

[laklak]

Why separate them? They have a ready made career in a freak show.

[mistermack]

It usually occurs when they are babies, and cannot consent or not. Parental consent is needed. Often, if the operation is not performed, the twin with a chance of survival at the moment will get weaker over time, so it becomes a choice between either one death or two.

That's a nice sidestep.
But forget the usually. What about the situation that I described? Who's rights should prevail?

I personally think that if the viable one has been counseled, and is in his right mind, then his wishes should be carried out. Even though it's a horrible thing to contemplate.

It's a bit like two identical twins, one with two good kidneys, and one none.
You can't force the healthy one to give up a kidney, if he doesn't consent. So how could you force a conjoined twin to spend all of the rest of his life, keeping the other alive, with his own organs?

[JimC]

Has this dilemma actually ever happened in real life?

[mistermack]

I dunno, it's just a thought exercise.

Like, when does god give a fetus a soul?
If it's at the instant of fertilisation of the egg, then when does he give identical twins the extra one? When the egg splits? But what if it only partly splits, as in conjoined twins?
Does he issue a soul when a new brain forms? But what if they are joined at the head, and the brains are fuse?

It's lucky god is so wonderful, he needs to be to sort all that out.
If I was god, I wouldn't bother with conjoined twins. He does move in mysterious ways.

[Tero]

When the twins turn 15 and one says "I did not ask to be born..", rush them to hospital and separate.

[Forty Two]

Say there is a set of conjoined twins. One is viable if separated. The other is not, and could never survive on it's own.

What if the complete one demanded to be separated?
Does the other one have any say in the matter?
If you deny the right to separation, you are forcing the viable one to support someone, to stay joined to another human being against their wishes.
If you insist that they have a right to be separated if one wishes, you are condemning the non-viable one to death. Forcing him to undergo an operation that will kill him.

I wonder if it's ever happened?

As a corollary, if conjoined twin A masturbates against the wishes of conjoined twin B, is A guilty of sexual assault?

[mistermack]

Say there is a set of conjoined twins. One is viable if separated. The other is not, and could never survive on it's own.

What if the complete one demanded to be separated?
Does the other one have any say in the matter?
If you deny the right to separation, you are forcing the viable one to support someone, to stay joined to another human being against their wishes.
If you insist that they have a right to be separated if one wishes, you are condemning the non-viable one to death. Forcing him to undergo an operation that will kill him.

I wonder if it's ever happened?

As a corollary, if conjoined twin A masturbates against the wishes of conjoined twin B, is A guilty of sexual assault?

I suppose it depends where they are joined. If they've only got one dick, and two arms, then it could be assault.
But as any Catholic priest will tell you, if he got an erection, that means he wanted it too.

I wonder what would happen, if one was a Catholic priest, and the other was an Atheist?

[mistermack]

Ok, I might as well own up.

I'm interested in conjoined twins because I myself have brought up conjoined triplets.

It hasn't been easy. I've always been too poor to get them separated. It costs a lot of money.

I've eventually given up hoping that I'll ever afford it, so I'm going to do it myself.

And cut out the middle man.

[JimC]