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TEST-TUBE
BABlES?
It's
TimeWe
Ask
Why!
by
Clayton Steep
Increasing numbers of babies are being born as a result of test-tube technology.
But why has the real
cause
of infertility been overlooked?
E
VERYONE can un–
derstand the desire of
the childless couple to
have a child of their own.
No one can fault that desire.
l t is legitimate. In fact, i t is that
very legitimacy that has spurred
development of test-tube baby
technology.
As the number of startling accom–
plishments in the field of artificially
induced reproduction grows, so does
a raging controversy. Advocates,
under the banner of humane consid–
erations, urge accelerated research
and experimentation.
Critics claim that whatever good
may be accomplished is far out–
weighed by the dangers of humans
"playing God." "Where will it all
"in vitro"
fertilization
A mature human egg, taken
from an ovary by means
of a needle·like instrument.
is placed in a laboratory
dish (top), to which
sperm is added. Alter
fertilization takes place, the
egg is transferred
to another dish (bottom)
where a multiple cell
blastocyst develops over the
course of severa! days.
The blastocyst is
then placed in the uterus.
September
1
October 1982
stop?" they ask, charging that tam–
pering with the beginnings of life is
opening a Pandora's box that wi ll
lead to frightening consequences.
The debate is proving to be
much more than a mere tempest in
a test tube.
It
is coming to involve
scientists, laymen, right-to-life or–
ganizations, theologians, fem inist
groups, moralists, law-makers and
many others.
How did this controversy get
started anyway?
If
there is a better
sol ut ion to the problem faced by
infertile couples, what is it?
Test-tube Techn o logy
Test-tube babies, as t hey are popu–
larly called , are the results of a
number of different procedures.
Actually, test-tube technology ap–
plied in the reproductive process is
nothing new. [ts oldest form is arti–
ficial insemination. Long ago art ifi–
cial insemination was employed in
animal breeding. Eventually the
process carne to be used to impreg–
nate women with sperm from their
husbands. The next innovation was
impregnating women with sperm
from males
other
than their hus–
bands. This is now commonly
referred to as AID (Artificial
Insemination by Donor).
A donor is usually a medica! stu–
dent or other individual whose back–
ground may be screened to one
degree or another. Sometimes the
identity of the donor is known. Most
often it is kept confidential. The
sperm is used as soon as it is donated,
or it may be frozen and stored for
later use in a sperm bank.
Not al! such banks are al ike. In
3 1
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