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Picking a Good Pair of Genes
Over the last couple of years there have been numerous advancements in the fields of In Vitro Fertilization and eugenics. But along with the positive advancements there have always been negative views for both topics. In the articles “Custom Made Disabilities Wrong” and “Designer Babies and the Pro Choice Movement”, the authors share their views on both the negative and positive aspects of the subjects.
In vitro fertilization is a technique in which egg cells are fertilized by sperm outside the woman's womb, in vitro. In vitro fertilization is a major treatment in infertility when other methods of assisted reproductive technology have failed. The process involves hormonally controlling the ovulatory process, removing ova (eggs) from the woman's ovaries and letting sperm fertilize them in a fluid medium. The fertilized egg (zygote) is then transferred to the patient's uterus with the intent to establish a successful pregnancy. While Eugenics is a social philosophy which advocates the improvement of human hereditary traits through various forms of intervention. Throughout history, eugenics has been regarded by its various advocates as a social responsibility, an altruistic stance of a society, meant to create healthier and more intelligent people, to save resources, and lessen human suffering. Earlier proposed means of achieving these goals focused on selective breeding, while modern ones focus on prenatal testing and screening, genetic counseling, birth control, in vitro fertilization, and genetic engineering. Opponents argue that eugenics is immoral. Historically, eugenics has been used as a justification for state-sponsored discrimination, forced sterilization of persons deemed genetically defective, the killing of the institutionalized population and, in some cases, genocide of races perceived as inferior.
Author Rebecca Tuhus- Dubrow wrote the article “Designer Babies and the Pro Choice Movement”. In this...