Week 9 Homework #2

  • Due Nov 5, 2012 at 10pm
  • Points 10
  • Questions 3
  • Available Oct 27, 2012 at 8am - Nov 5, 2012 at 10pm
  • Time Limit None

Instructions

“Former Embryos”

In spring 2005, U.S. President George W. Bush appeared on TV with families who participate in a program called “Snowflakes.” These families have had children using early embryos frozen at fertility clinics from patients undergoing in vitro fertilization. The embryos are “extras.” Each Snowflakes child wore a T-shirt saying “former embryo.” The event was held to protest a pending bill on federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research to develop treatments for degenerative diseases such as Parkinson disease and Alzheimer disease, and spinal cord injuries. The term “snowflake” was chosen as a metaphor for the uniqueness of each frozen embryo.

In the Snowflakes program, people who give up their embryos for “adoption” all make the recipient sign documents asserting that they will not terminate any resulting pregnancies, for any reason. Specific terms are also applied. One couple, for example, required that the couple gestating their embryo be conservative Christian and include a stay-at-home mom.

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