Should Doctors Be Neutral on Suicide?

from the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference

Most of us have spent time with a loved one at the end of his or her life. Depending on circumstances, this could have been a peaceful and loving experience or one filled with anxiety and uncertainty.

Some see doctor prescribed suicide as the solution to this uncertainty. However, doctor prescribed suicide is anything but an easy answer. Simply put, doctor prescribed suicide normalizes suicide as the solution to suffering, encourages decisions to be made based on cost containment instead of human dignity, and relies on inaccurate predictions of quality of life to determine a person's worth.

The American Medical Association (AMA) is considering changing its decades-long opposition to doctor prescribed suicide. The association’s Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs is scheduled to meet this week to further formulate the AMA’s position on this issue. If the AMA weakens its opposition, the move will send a message to the legislature that legalizing suicide is acceptable.

As a health care consumer, you have the right to tell the AMA to maintain its opposition to doctor prescribed suicide.

Please send a message to the AMA today asking them to support the dignity of every person and the need for supportive and comprehensive end of life care.


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The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference is the public affairs arm of Pennsylvania’s Catholic bishops and the Catholic dioceses of Pennsylvania. There are 10 Catholic dioceses in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Eight are Latin Rite dioceses, fully contained within the Commonwealth. Two are Byzantine Rite dioceses with Apostolic Sees in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference has set broad objectives and highlighted some particular issues of concern. For more information on the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference, please use this link.