Science and Babies Private Decisions, Public Dilemmas (1990) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
7. New Technologies: The Ethical and Social Issues
7. New Technologies: The Ethical and Social Issues
Pages 147-157
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 147... ...
Professor Patricia A King, of Georgetown University Law Center, has said that the new reproductive technologies are controversial: because they challenge deeply held moral, ethical, and religious values, particularly those values that concern the family and relationships among its members.
|
From page 148... ...
The ability of scientists to sustain human embryos in the laboratory for a week or longer has opened up enormous possibilities in terms of what could be done with sperm, eggs, and the early human embryo. This technology raises questions about our obligations as a society to these gametes and early embryos and about the ethical basis for these
|
From page 149... ...
Privately funded investigations have focused on what happens at specific points in the development of a human egg into an embryo. An understanding of this process is imperative to the formation of sound ethical arguments about infertility treatments and basic research on the human embryo.
|
From page 150... ...
A better understanding of the basics of reproduction and embryo development not only has the potential for improving infertility treatments, but it also is expected to contribute to many aspects of reproductive health. A recent Institute of Medicine study noted the existence of substantial deficiencies in the scientific underpinnings of reproductive biology.
|
From page 151... ...
John Fletcher estimates that genetic disorders account for one-third of all admissions to pediatric units and for almost 25 percent of neonatal mortality. The optimal goal of diagnosing inherited diseases in the early embryo, he believes, would be the ability to analyze sperm and eggs, so fertilization could be achieved with gametes that do not carry harmful genes.
|
From page 152... ...
Such issues as the disposal of unneeded embryos, the creation of embryos expressly for research, and the point at which embryo development research should be permitted are strongly affected by how society perceives the embryo. Not surprisingly, analyses of the ethical stances taken by various segments of society reveal a range of positions concerning embryo research.
|
From page 153... ...
For example, four Australian committees found research on Reimplantation embryos ethically unacceptable. Commissions in other countries approved of some kinds of early embryo research, with 6 of 11 accepting research only on embryos left over from treatment programs.
|
From page 154... ...
The lack of an official avenue for requesting federal funds for such research has had two effects: The development of new knowledge about reproduction, normal pregnancy and fetal development, and the human embryo has either slowed markedly or is not being performed. Whatever research exists is financed privately.
|
From page 155... ...
also examined the ethics of infertility treatment and research. The AFS listed eight technologies that it felt were ethically acceptable, including IVF and embryo transfer, the use of donor eggs, and the use of frozen donor sperm.
|
From page 156... ...
Scientists, ethicists, and other observers have strongly urged that the United States follow a similar course. They suggest reviving the EAB in order to resolve ethical and social concerns about reproductive technology in this country.
|
From page 157... ...
1987. Ethics and new reproductive technologies: an international review of committee statements.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.