In an episode of the TV series The Good Doctor, a patient named Dawn has a miscarriage. Her husband, Todd, is shocked by this revelation. Since he had a vasectomy a decade ago, it doesn’t make sense that Dawn was pregnant. Unless she had sex with someone else, that is. As the episode unfolds, it becomes clear that Dawn cheated on Todd. Except there’s a catch. She cheated because of a neurological condition that restricted her ability to refuse or say “No” to sexual advances or inclinations, which led her to have multiple sexual encounters with different individuals.
When Todd is upset with Dawn, one of her doctors asks him if he has felt attracted to others during their relationship. He admits to this feeling, adding that he never felt compelled to act on those impulses. The doctor responds by saying that while Todd resisted acting on his temptations, Dawn succumbed to hers. However, Dawn never left Todd because she loves him.
By the end of the episode, Todd and Dawn reconcile after the doctors successfully remove the tumour responsible for her infidelity. But the narrative leaves a significant question unanswered: Is it morally permissible to engage in extramarital relationships if conditions like a neurological issue are…
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