View source for Prophylaxis is wrong

'''Prophylaxis is wrong''' is a family of arguments made in the context of medical or public health debates in which a prophylactic treatment or policy is opposed. A prophylactic medical treatment is defined as any treatment or procedure which seeks to prevent illness rather than treat it. These might include:

* vaccines meant to protect against potential future diseases (both common and rare)
* booster doses of vaccines (e.g., a tetanus shot given after possible exposure to the pathogen)
* antibiotics (e.g., when given to a patient undergoing surgery)
* antiviral therapies (e.g., drugs that are meant to prevent transmission of HIV)
* preemptive surgical removal of body parts in healthy individuals (e.g., circumcision, appendectomy, mastectomy)
* taking of nutritional supplements to prevent illness 

Avoidance behaviours that pose a risk of illness will not be considered (e.g., not smoking to avoid lung cancer). Only active interventions will be considered as prophylactic. 

Arguments for and against prophylaxis, both from a deontological (rule-based) and consequentialist perspective will be weighed against each other.


{{Claim
|Claim=Prophylaxis is wrong
|Level=Ethical preference
|Nature=Ethical
|Counterclaim=Prophylaxis is right
|DependentOn1=
|DependencyOf1=
}}