IVF: A Medical Breakthrough Or A Medical Burden?
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Last July, Louise Brown celebrated her 16th birthday. "She's a regular kid who likes sports, movie stars, and MTV. With a mom, dad, and a younger sister, she's a lot like other teens anywhere in the world" (Dreher 1). However, Louise's life did not start out in such a common way. The conception of Louise did not happen within her mother's body. "Instead, her father's sperm fertilized her mother's egg in a glass petri dish under the watchful eyes of a team of scientists at Oldham General Hospital in northern England" (Dreher 1). Within hours, the fertilized egg was inserted into her mother's womb, where it grew into seven-pound, two-ounce Louise Brown. (Dreher 1).
Louise Brown ...
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unacceptable because it is an "unnatural" means of conception? (2) Does IVF threaten the moral status of women? (3) Does IVF harm the autonomy of a woman?
The first of these concerns, that questioning the acceptability of IVF as a means of conception on the grounds of naturality, is one of great importance. Those opposing the use of IVF as a means of conception argue that in vitro fertilization is an unnatural means of conception and is thus morally unacceptable. However, as Peter Singer states, "If we were to reject medical advances on the grounds that they are 'unnatural' we would be rejecting modern medicine as a whole, for the very purpose of the medical enterprise is to resist the ravages of nature which would otherwise shorten our lives and make them much less pleasant" (Singer 526). However, it is not enough to argue naturality on this premise. The reason being that some people may say, "Fine, then we will reject modern medicine as a whole because the entire ...
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is considered to be natural to one person, may be just the opposite in the eyes of another. For example, suppose a woman is in the delivery room, about to give birth to her child. However, due to complications, doctors recommend that they deliver the baby by cesarean section. To some, this may seem natural because it is the application of our intelligence to overcome an adverse situation. However, a devoted Jehova's Witness may refuse the doctors' suggestion because cesarean section is an invasive surgery, which strongly deviates from her religious beliefs. So, it is apparent that the definition of naturality is not absolute, but differs from one person to the next.
Moreover, ...
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IVF: A Medical Breakthrough Or A Medical Burden?. (2006, August 8). Retrieved November 23, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/IVF-A-Medical-Breakthrough-Medical-Burden/50391
"IVF: A Medical Breakthrough Or A Medical Burden?." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 8 Aug. 2006. Web. 23 Nov. 2024. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/IVF-A-Medical-Breakthrough-Medical-Burden/50391>
"IVF: A Medical Breakthrough Or A Medical Burden?." Essayworld.com. August 8, 2006. Accessed November 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/IVF-A-Medical-Breakthrough-Medical-Burden/50391.
"IVF: A Medical Breakthrough Or A Medical Burden?." Essayworld.com. August 8, 2006. Accessed November 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/IVF-A-Medical-Breakthrough-Medical-Burden/50391.
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