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NORFOLK, Va., Oct. 17 (UPI) -- A healthy baby born in Norfolk, Va., in May from an embryo cryopreserved for 19 years is raising questions about leftover life forms, bioethicists say.
The embryo, donated by an anonymous patient at the Jones Institute for Reproductive Medicine after she gave birth to a son via in vitro fertilization, was implanted into a 42-year-old recipient 19 years later who gave birth to that May baby boy, The (Norfolk) Virginian-Pilot reported Sunday.
My sister has three frozen embryos left over from an invitro procedure 10 years ago that resulted in twins. She pays a few hundred dollars a year to keep them frozen, but she's on the verge of divorce, is 40 years old, and it's very unlikely she'll ever have them implanted.
I think donation is something she would consider as her pro-life views would make her uncomfortable with having the embryos destroyed.
That raises all sorts of bio-ethics questions. I'm not sure how I feel about this story in particular other than to be amazed at what we can do. If faced with the choice of destruction or donation, I think I would donate and would be fine with them being used for stem cell research. To me that is sort of equivalent to donating organs after someone dies. One life ending can grant life or improve the lives of many.
It doesn't raise any ethical questions at all. An embryo is an embryo, whether or not it's frozen. It's not a human being, and it's even a question of whether or not it's "living" if it's frozen. Legally, they are possessions. I think it's great for unused embryos to be donated to stem cell research, or other medical research.
It doesn't raise any ethical questions at all. An embryo is an embryo, whether or not it's frozen. It's not a human being, and it's even a question of whether or not it's "living" if it's frozen. Legally, they are possessions. I think it's great for unused embryos to be donated to stem cell research, or other medical research.
While I tend to agree with you, there are vastly different opinions regarding whether or not embryo's created via invitro should be considered "living" or not. This really strikes at the heart of the abortion debate, which is why I said it is an ethical issue. 50% are going to feel the way we do and the other 50% are going to see it as destroying life.
I can see this whole thread denegrating into an abortion debate real quick.
While I tend to agree with you, there are vastly different opinions regarding whether or not embryo's created via invitro should be considered "living" or not. This really strikes at the heart of the abortion debate, which is why I said it is an ethical issue. 50% are going to feel the way we do and the other 50% are going to see it as destroying life.
I can see this whole thread denegrating into an abortion debate real quick.
Well, let's hope it doesn't but due to its very nature there are folks who may try to take it there. It just doesn't strike me personally as an ethical issue. The staggering majority of leftovers from in vitro processes will never be utilized. I believe rather than simply throwing them away as medical waste, that they have a use in research and future cures for humans with illnesses or disabilities.
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