Frozen Embryo Research Paper
January 9, 2014
Regulations in the Rights Involving the Ownership of Frozen Embryos One in eight couples in the United States face the problem of infertility (Erickson, Erickson). These couples cannot produce a child through intercourse, but if they wish to have a child of their own they need to look for other options. These options are referred to as assisted reproduction technologies, or otherwise known as “ART” (Erickson, Erickson). The technologies included in ART are in vitro fertilization, gamete intrafallopian transfer, introcytoplasmic sperm injection, and so on (Erickson, Erickson). In vitro fertilization is the process involving the creation of embryos in a laboratory. The first baby born by in vitro fertilization was in 1978. …show more content…
This allowed for more embryos donated to research. More couples are willing to have their embryos donated to research rather than any other alternative, but donating to stem cell research is not yet “readily available” (Concerns about Embryo Disposition). The Fertility Clinics of Illinois have made this option available to their patients. If the couple wishes to, they can donate their unused embryos to Harvard for the purpose of stem cell research (Controversial Debate: What To Do With Unused Embryos?). This research could lead to the cure for several diseases including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease (Beil). While some may view donating to research is just like killing the embryos, they may very well be helping to save lives that suffer from the diseases that the research is helping to cure. More clinics need to have the option of donating the unused embryos to research; however, state governments still have the right to make their own restrictions on this type of research, which makes it hard for all clinics to have the option if their state has restrictions against it (Beil). If most scholars, courts, and legislatures believe that the federal government needs to make laws to settle the problems with the ownership of frozen embryos, then why has it not happened? This brings us back to the person versus property problem. We cannot determine the rights of embryos without knowing its legal status (Pollet). Until that legal status is final, there will always be complications when getting involved with in vitro fertilization and trying to decide what to do with excess
Regulations in the Rights Involving the Ownership of Frozen Embryos One in eight couples in the United States face the problem of infertility (Erickson, Erickson). These couples cannot produce a child through intercourse, but if they wish to have a child of their own they need to look for other options. These options are referred to as assisted reproduction technologies, or otherwise known as “ART” (Erickson, Erickson). The technologies included in ART are in vitro fertilization, gamete intrafallopian transfer, introcytoplasmic sperm injection, and so on (Erickson, Erickson). In vitro fertilization is the process involving the creation of embryos in a laboratory. The first baby born by in vitro fertilization was in 1978. …show more content…
This allowed for more embryos donated to research. More couples are willing to have their embryos donated to research rather than any other alternative, but donating to stem cell research is not yet “readily available” (Concerns about Embryo Disposition). The Fertility Clinics of Illinois have made this option available to their patients. If the couple wishes to, they can donate their unused embryos to Harvard for the purpose of stem cell research (Controversial Debate: What To Do With Unused Embryos?). This research could lead to the cure for several diseases including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease (Beil). While some may view donating to research is just like killing the embryos, they may very well be helping to save lives that suffer from the diseases that the research is helping to cure. More clinics need to have the option of donating the unused embryos to research; however, state governments still have the right to make their own restrictions on this type of research, which makes it hard for all clinics to have the option if their state has restrictions against it (Beil). If most scholars, courts, and legislatures believe that the federal government needs to make laws to settle the problems with the ownership of frozen embryos, then why has it not happened? This brings us back to the person versus property problem. We cannot determine the rights of embryos without knowing its legal status (Pollet). Until that legal status is final, there will always be complications when getting involved with in vitro fertilization and trying to decide what to do with excess