Ethical Issues of Reproductive Technologies: Designer Babies, Sex ...

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to transcend this would be ‘unnatural’, balanced against an argument of ‘reproductive freedom’. New reproductive technologies are helping infertile couples have the children they yearn for, and additionally, are saving lives and preventing disease. However, there are clearly many ethical issues and contrasting viewpoints to consider with regards to these technologies, and it must be remembered, that regulation is important to avoid the use of these powerful technologies for inappropriate purposes. J NI Ethics Forum 2008, 5: 87-96 Introduction The technology of assisted reproduction has progressed at a rapid pace in recent years, enabling many otherwise infertile couples to have the children they long for. [1],[2] Conception, pregnancy and childbirth, formerly an indivisible process, can now be considered as separable stages of reproduction. [3] With these advances however, come numerous ethical dilemmas. In this essay I will look at three areas of reproductive technologies; ‘designer babies’, sex selection and ‘donor babies’, and discuss the ethical arguments for and against each one. Designer Babies ‘Designer babies’ is a term that has become part of everyday language, though it was a term initiated by journalists rather than scientists. [4],[5] It describes the use of several reproductive technologies, all with one thing in common; they give parents an element of control over the characteristics of their offspring. [5] The technique at the centre of the debate about designer babies is Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD), which brings together two technologies: in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and genetic testing. [4] The dilemma is whether it is ethical to design babies by selecting an embryo in this way. [5] The main argument for these techniques is that they can help prevent certain genetic diseases e.g. single gene disorders such as cystic fibrosis, and chromosomal 88
abnormalities such as Down’s Syndrome. [6],[7] In this way they can save children from debilitation and suffering and reduce the financial and emotional strain on the parents. [6] Furthermore, Verlinsky [5] tells us these techniques are used only by those requiring the help of a fertility clinic to have children, and therefore argues that since these people have invested so much time, energy and money in their effort to have a baby, shouldn’t they be able to ensure they have a healthy child? Another point to be noted is that many naturally conceived embryos are rejected from the womb due to disordered growth, and so it can be argued by screening embryos we are simply doing what nature would normally do. [5],[6] However, one argument against using PGD to prevent disease is that of the ‘slippery slope’ argument. The worry is that we could get carried away ‘correcting’ babies. [6] The Human Fertilisation and Embryo Authority (HFEA), who regulate the use of PGD, state that it should only be used for detecting “very serious, life threatening conditions” and not for minor abnormalities, but ‘serious’ is difficult to define in this context. [7] Where do we draw the line? Furthermore, from a disability equality perspective, every life is of value and our diversity as a species has innate value. Therefore, to discriminate against an embryo, which could go on to become a person with a disability or disorder would be considered wrong. [8] Moreover, once on this slippery slope what is to stop us choosing babies for their physical or psychological traits? [5] The path from therapy to enhancement is a continuum rather than a clear and obvious dividing line. [9] It is argued this could be the first step towards allowing parents to choose other characteristics of their baby such as eye or hair colour. [10] There is always the looming shadow of eugenics and ‘improving’ the gene pool by the elimination of ‘undesirables’, in this case, undesirable embryos. [5] On the other hand, opposing this argument is the fact that merely asserting that this is the first step towards allowing parents to choose 89
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Page 5 and 6: with sex selection for non-medical
Page 7 and 8: also be used to evade transmission
Page 9 and 10: References [1] Strong C. Ethics in

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