The coming war over in vitro fertilization.

[alfreda89]

Leave No Embryo Behind
The coming war over in vitro fertilization.
By William Saletan
Updated Friday, June 3, 2005, at 9:12 AM PT

Last week at the White House, President Bush showcased embryo adoption as an alternative to embryonic stem-cell research. The event alarmed the in vitro fertilization industry. Proponents of embryo adoption "have an explicit political agenda to actually take away choices from infertility patients," an industry spokesman told the New York Times.

Actually, an explicit agenda is what pro-lifers don't yet have. Already overwhelmed by patient advocates in the fight over stem cells, they have no death wish to confront the millions of Americans whose families have tried IVF. Promoting embryo adoption—finding somebody to rescue surplus embryos so IVF couples can go on making them and leaving them behind—is an attempt to avoid that confrontation. But last week's House debate over stem cells signaled that the confrontation is coming. Pro-lifers don't think anyone, including a parent, has the right to doom an embryo to death. They're on a collision course with IVF.

Look fast, it's at Slate

Comments

[noiseinmyhead.livejournal.com]

There has already been at least one state (kansas I think) where a bill was introduced to limit IVF to one embryo at a time (nevermind that the science doesn't work that way). Unfotrtunatly I can't fidn the fracus again to figure out what state it was in for sure.

I wish those "adopting" the embryos would adopt an already here child or pay for an poorer infertle couple to have the IVF.

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

Yes, it's already started. I could see them trying to limit to three embryos at a time--but I don't know if insurance would help, then, since the creation of the embryos is the big $$$ item, as I understand it. Insurance might only pay for one try, that way...