Embryo screening

• • In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is the process by which embryos are fertilised in a laboratory and then implanted into the mother’s womb
  • A cell can be taken from the embryo before being implanted and its genes can be analysed
  • It is also possible to get DNA from the cell of an embryo that’s already in the womb and analyse its genes in the same way
  • Genetic disorders (eg. cystic fibrosis) can be detected during this analysis
• • This has led to many economic, social and ethical concerns:
  • An IVF embryo (ie. a potential life) might be destroyed if alleles causing a genetic disorder are found in its genes
  • Pregnancy might be prematurely terminated if an embryo already in the womb (also a potential life) is found to have alleles causing a genetic disorder within its genes
• For embryo screening:

  • Can avoid suffering by stopping children from being born with genetic disorders.
  • Treatment for disorders costs governments and taxpayers a lot of money.
  • There are Laws in place to stop embryo screening being abused (eg. parents are not allowed to choose the sex of the baby un- Less they are trying to prevent certain genetic disorders which are sex-Linked, that is, those that specific to either males or females).
• Against embryo screening:

  • This process could imply that people with genetic disorders are 'undesirable', which is not fair or true.
  • Embryo screening is a very expensive process and therefore is not available to all potential parents - only those who can pay for it.
  • This could be a 'slippery slope'- if the process becomes more affordable and more people want to screen their embryos, we may end up in a situation where the process of embryo screening is abused and used to produce 'desirable' offspring (ie. those with characteristics chosen by the parents).