ishizaki@saturn.UUCP (Audrey Ishizaki) (10/30/84)
How many of you have heard about what's been happening in Australia
regarding embryos? This is my understanding:
A couple had given sperm and eggs to a lab to fertilize (for
later implantation), which the lab did successfully (two embryos,
I believe). The couple were killed in a plane crash, leaving
no instructions regarding the embryos. What's to be done?
(this is where my memory gets even fuzzier) The lab decided
to 'kill' the embryos, the courts ruled against them. The
embryos were subsequently 'adopted', for implantation into
another surrogate mother.
It was observed that implantations do not always take, so
multiple embryos must be 'created' to assure successful implantation.
What will the ruling be on these, perhaps, extra embryos (could
be a LOT of extras)?
It was also observed that the court ruling would not affect
current abortion laws in Australia (of course, I don't know
what those are, either, but it was implied to be legal).
Pro-Choice, Pro-Life, anyone want to comment on this?
Or correct misconceptions -- better yet, does anyone have the FACTS?
audrey ishizaki
HPLabs
Palo Alto, CA ...ucbvax!hplabs!ishizakijho@ihuxn.UUCP (Yosi Hoshen) (11/06/84)
I am pro-choice. I don't have any problems with implanting embryos in surrogate mothers. Once an embryo or a fetus is outside a woman's body, society can decide what to do with that embryo. Implanting an embryo (in another consenting woman) does not violate the donor's right to control her body, since the embryo is no longer INSIDE her body. If our society is interested in preserving the life of fetuses and embryos, it could be done without infringing on the right of women over their bodies. Fetuses can be aborted alive. The reason they die, is that we have not yet developed the technology to artificially maintain them. If the pro-life groups were directing their energies towards the development of an artificial womb rather than trying to impose their morality on others, I don't think we would be arguing. Pro-lifers claim that abortion is immoral because fetuses die. Well, why don't you do something that will prevent the death of fetuses in the abortion process. Do something that supports the life of the fetus without violating the right of a person to control her body. The pro-choicers' moral standard differs from the pro-lifers' moral standard. We say that it is immoral to coerce a woman to carry her pregnancy to term if she does not wish to do so. Let me point out that the pro-choice moral stance does not try to impose its morality on the pro-lifers. On the other hand, the pro-lifers try to impose their morality on those who do not to adhere to the pro-lifers' moral standard. It is rather ironic that many who subscribe to the pro-life position, claim to oppose big government meddling with our personal affairs. I guess that what they want, is to get big government off our BACKS, but put it right inside our BODIES. -- Yosi Hoshen Bell Laboratories Naperville, Illinois (312)-979-7321 Mail: ihnp4!ihuxn!jho