April 2015
From a Survey on Bioethics
Kei Kono / Hiroko Murata
With the dramatically sophistication of medical practices such as third-party egg donation and surrogate delivery as well as organ transplant from brain-dead donors, we have more and more options regarding “life.” This article analyzes the results of the 2014 “Survey on Bioethics” that was conducted for the first time in twelve years to grasp how the Japanese perceive “life.”
-Regarding in-vitro fertilization using sperm and eggs of a married couple, those who find it “acceptable” including “rather acceptable” have increased from 73% in 2002 to 81%. As to in-vitro fertilization using sperm or eggs donated by a third party, “acceptable” accounted for only a quarter of the respondents, but increased from around 10% in 2002.
-Those who find “surrogate delivery” “acceptable” stayed at the 20s to 30s percent range, but a notable increase was observed among young people, making a spark difference from the upper age bracket.
-As to organ regeneration, “skin and bone” marked the highest percentage of those who find it “acceptable” (80%) while not many people think so about organs or cells related to reproduction, with 26% for “ovary and testis” and 25% for “cells that produce eggs or sperm.”
-Those who regard “brain death” as death of a person increased from 35%to 46%. Those with positive views on organ transplant from brain-dead donors also increased.
-Those who find “death with dignity” “acceptable” marked 84%, while 73% did so for “euthanasia.” Compared to 2002, only a small increase was observed for both of them.
-In order to analyze the Japanese perception of bioethics comprehensively, the authors used the mathematical quantification theory class III for calculation. As a result, it is revealed that “active or defensive” and “undecided or assertive” lie beneath the perceptions of medical technologies, and the comparison with the 2002 survey indicates that the individual perceptions are to some extent determined by the year of birth.