• Researchers have discovered that instead of simply being an extra copy of each of the genes on chromosome 21, trisomy 21 has an effect on the expression of genes on other chromosomes. Rebecca Taylor observes how this new discovery has implications for the future of human genetic engineering. • Judie Brown explains why personhood described as being “from the … Read More
Surrogacy = Human Trafficking?
Christopher White from the Center for Bioethics and Culture Network has a great article in Forbe’s. In it he makes the case that surrogate parenthood for money is a form of human trafficking. He also recently co-authored a piece for the National Review with Jennifer Lahl on Why Gestational Surrogacy is Wrong. They’re both thoughtful pieces for a society that … Read More
#WhatWomenNeed
The “#WhatWomenNeed…for Valentine’s Day” hashtag was kicked off by House Democrats last week. This Monday, Planned Parenthood Cecile Richards got in on the fun by posting a vine video of herself holding up a series of #WhatWomenNeed cue cards that said, among other things, “birth control” and “safe + legal abortions.” Pro-lifers responded with their own #WhatWomenNeed Valentine’s Day pro-life … Read More
Grandma as “Birth Mother” and Children as Science Experiments
As if third party reproduction hasn’t confused the make-up of the family enough already, we now have grandmothers giving birth to their own grandchildren (and also, in some cases, freezing their OWN eggs for their infertile daughters to use later on in life!). The latest: a 58 year old woman in Utah is currently pregnant with her daughter’s child. Said … Read More
Breeders
The Center for Bioethics and Culture, producers of the award-winning Eggsploitation and Anonymous Father’s Day, will be releasing a new documentary later this month. Breeders: A Subclass of Women? explores the important issue of surrogacy, talking with surrogates, physicians, psychologists, and activists across the political and ideological spectrum. Pay attention, ladies. Porn is not the only industry commodifying women. Biotechnology … Read More
Audio: On Our Culture’s Love/Hate Relationship With Babies
Does our culture have a love/hate relationship with babies? Is Captain James T. Kirk captive to the culture of death? And what does Pope Francis mean by an “ecumenism of blood?” I had a good time talking about all of the above on the Mike Allen Show yesterday with the ever-awesome Jason Hall, who is the associate director of the … Read More
The IVF Industry Degrades Women
Jennifer Lahl writes: I’m just back from Charleston, South Carolina, where I attended the American Academy of Assisted Reproductive Technology Attorneys (AAARTA) professional conference. I listened in for three days on presentations addressing all things associated with third party reproduction from the perspective of lawyers, lobbyists, and advocates for LGBT rights and expanding global laws. I learned a lot. Much … Read More
Enlightening Interview With Egg Donor Recruiter
After seeing their Eggsploitation documentary, a former egg donor recruiter came forward and agreed to talk to the Center for Bioethics and Culture about her experience working for 18 years with a leading fertility center in the United States. It’s an interesting look into the industry. An excerpt: The last few years was all about pleasing the recipients who were … Read More
Outsourcing Pregnancy Isn’t Fair
Must read from Debra Saunders in response to an article about a Bay Area couple who paid an Indian woman to carry their child: I don’t think they’re bad people. I think the Kowalskis represent a prevalent view in American society – that when affluent childless couples want to have a baby, they have a right to have a baby, … Read More
The Overlooked Ethics of Reproduction
Absolute must-read from Jennifer Lahl at Christianity Today: The fact that so many people fail to consider the moral implications of IVF suggests that in the age of fertility treatments, surrogates, and modern family-building via parenting partnerships, a woman’s womb has come to be seen as a somewhat arbitrary location. NBC’s The New Normal quips that women are “Easy-Bake Ovens” … Read More