Brewing Bioethics!!

A group of students from Northern Arizona University have started a podcast called "Coffee and Consent Brewing Bioethical Discussions" for their bioethics capstone project. They aim to explore the age of consent in healthcare through four episodes, each focusing on a different aspect. Rachel will discuss the age of consent for life-saving treatments, vaccines, and clinical trials. Josh will focus on the age of consent for mental health treatments. Savannah will explore the age of consent for gender reassignment treatments. Brooke will discuss the age of consent for sexual health care, abortion care, and contraceptives. The podcast encourages discussion and engagement from listeners through social media. The students hope to provide information and spark debate on these complex bioethical issues. Welcome to our podcast, Coffee and Consent Brewing Bioethical Discussions. I'm Josh, Rachel, Brooke, and I'm Savannah. Just a bit about us, we are students at Northern Arizona University and this series will represent our bioethics capstone project. Before we get into the nitty-gritty of the next four episodes, we'd like to catch you all up on what exactly the study of bioethics is. Okay, so what is bioethics? This isn't a term that the average person hears every day, unless you're in the medical field. Assuming that most of our listeners are fellow students and not well-established neurosurgeons, should we give them a tidbit on bioethics? Absolutely. To put it simply, it's just the field of study regarding the ethics of medical and biological research. Great, that's pretty straightforward, right? How does that little definition lend itself to a whole course, though? As you can probably guess, it isn't as painless as a clear-cut definition. There is one thing that's pretty widely agreed upon, though, the major principles of medical ethics. These include the principle of respect for the patient's autonomy, the principle of non-maleficence, the principle of beneficence, and the principle of justice. Of course, there are some cases where one principle is valued over another, and there are people that let their own values get tangled up in it all. Well, we're here to do some detangling, focusing these guiding principles on just one important topic, the age of consent in healthcare. In a health setting, informed consent is at the center of ethical care, but when is a child capable of processing the crucial elements of their medical care? This seems to be a question threaded through every age of consent case. Over the next four episodes, each of us will be diving into a specific aspect of the conversation and debate around the age of consent in healthcare, interviewing experts and special guests, and coming back together to discuss with you all. I'm Rachel Baer, and I'm an undergraduate student studying general biology at Northern Arizona University. My studies are rooted in science-based topics, but I've always had a deep passion for people, which has fueled my interest in bioethics and the medical field. Over the course of the next four episodes, my colleagues and I will introduce to you the principles of bioethics as they pertain to age of consent. I will be exploring the age of consent for life-saving treatments, vaccines, and clinical trials. This area of controversy raises many complex questions, like what if a child refuses life-saving treatment? What if a minor chooses to self-vaccinate against their parents' wishes? And should children be allowed to participate in phase one clinical trials? Throughout my episode, I will dive deep into these questions. I will explore arguments and counter-arguments surrounding the age of consent for life-saving treatments, vaccines, and clinical trials, and I will do my very best to provide you all with the information necessary to make your own educated decision for yourself, your children, and your loved ones. I look forward to discussing these complex topics with you as they pertain to age of consent, and I'll see you on the next podcast. I'm Josh Berkoski, and I'm a senior here at NAU studying general biology. I have a big interest in learning about humanistic issues in today's society, which is why I took a liking to this class. The problem involving the ability for minors to receive help related to mental health problems has been very prevalent in my life with friends and family, so learning about this topic and finding some interesting opinions about it will be very interesting. My plan is to interview a medical professional, hopefully someone here at NAU, in order to gain another perspective on the issue of the age of consent for mental health treatments. Currently, the ruling for the age of consent for mental health treatments in the U.S. differs from state to state, with most states saying around 18 years minimum. My plan in my episode is to play my interviews during my episode and allow conversation to develop about the topic. Hello, everyone. Hope everyone is doing well on this beautiful day. I'm Savannah DeGasperis, and this is my fourth year at Northern Arizona University. I am passionate about pursuing a career in the medical field, but there are some controversial topics in medicine, specifically in gender reassignment. As society progresses, our understanding of gender identity has evolved. For some individuals, aligning their physical characteristics with their internal sense of self is pivotal. This process, known as gender reassignment, often begins with medical interventions like hormone therapy and surgical procedures. However, the question arises, at what age, if at all, should minors be able to access these treatments? It's a contentious issue that raises concerns about autonomy, informed consent, and the long-term impact on individuals' physical and mental health. It's a subject that involves complex medical, ethical, and legal considerations. Stay tuned for my episode, as I will be conducting an interview with my coworker, who's a nurse practitioner, and his professional thoughts and opinions on this topic. Hey, guys. I'm Brooke Darabin, and this is my third year as an undergraduate, also studying general biology at NAU. The aspect of this bioethical debate I'll be focusing on in this series is the age of consent for sexual health care, abortion care, and contraceptives. This is an especially important topic, considering recent legal developments. I'm going to be exploring the laws surrounding this currently, not only at a federal level, but also state-by-state. During my episode, I'd like to take you all through some interesting cases and spark discussion with you all. I don't know about you guys, but I'm pretty excited about this project and hearing your feedback. And then, just like everyone else, I'll be conducting an interview with an expert in the field, and we'll all get back together here for our tabletop discussion at the end. This podcast is unique in a way that is produced by students for students. As senior undergraduates, we are committed to the completion and quality of our education. Keeping that in mind, we are going to keep all channels of communication open for you all. Feel free to comment any questions you may have and bring new and emerging bioethical topics to our attention. We'll be active on all social media and podcast sites, so look out. All these questions are impossible to answer, but imperative to discuss. Discussion is at the root of every bioethical issue. The more debate is had, the closer we'll all get to the truth. We hope you enjoy listening to our very first episode of Coffee and Consent, Brewing Bioethical Discussions, and as always, thank you for your interest in bioethics.