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About Reproductive Justice, Health, Rights & Human Biotechnology


Many applications of human biotechnologies, especially those involving reproduction, involve women's bodies. As these technologies are developed and used, women's well-being must be a central concern and reproductive rights must be firmly protected.

Assisted reproduction technologies have helped many people who otherwise could not have become parents of biologically related children. But these technologies tend to be costly and invasive. Their success rates, though improving, are still low. Most important, the long-term risks to women and children have not been well studied. Treating infertility has become a highly competitive business, and the field itself is notoriously under-regulated. Many experimental techniques are put into clinical use before they are adequately tested.

Other social, ethical, and practical concerns have also been raised: payments to encourage economically vulnerable women to provide eggs for other women's fertility treatment or to become surrogates; the increasing number of fertility clinics that offer social sex selection; and other forms of screening, testing, and selecting embryos. More radical reproductive technologies such as reproductive cloning and inheritable genetic modification (changing the genes we pass on to our children) are being used in animals, and though clearly dangerous, are being contemplated for use by humans.

It is not uncommon for those advocating these technologies to appropriate the language of reproductive choice to argue that parents should have the "right" to choose their children's characteristics. But as an increasing number of reproductive rights leaders point out, there are important differences between choosing when and whether to bear a child and creating a child with specified traits.

Advocates of technologies that would pre-determine the traits of future generations argue that these are "enhancements" that would improve the lives of children. But in addition to serious physical risks, significant social and psychological hazards are likely. Children born with pre-selected traits would come into the world expected to look, act, and perform according to specifications. Unreasonable and unfulfilled parental expectations can certainly flourish without these technologies, but expectations grounded in scientific claims and expensive procedures would likely be far more pronounced.



Made in Indiaby Molly MaguireBiopolitical TimesJuly 2nd, 2010Made in India is a newly released documentary that explores India’s reproductive tourism industry through an ethical, social, and feminist lens.
Watchdog under fire as number of IVF blunders soarsby Jo MacfarlaneThe Daily MailApril 24th, 2010Reported mistakes at UK IVF clinics increased from 182 in 2007-08 to 334 in 2008-09, prompting calls for stronger enforcement of regulations.
China tries to sterilise 10,000 parents over one-child ruleby Jane MacartneyThe Times (London)April 17th, 2010Family planning authorities in Guangdong Province are cracking down hard on couples who have violated birth control policies.
Symposium: Reproductive Technologies in the 21st Centuryby Jesse ReynoldsBiopolitical TimesFebruary 15th, 2010A day-long symposium, "Choice in the 21st Century? Regulating Reproductive Technologies," will be held in San Francisco on February 26.
Sex Selection: Tools for Actionby Marcy DarnovskyBiopolitical TimesFebruary 10th, 2010Information, political education activities, and policy suggestions for reproductive rights and justice advocates.
Two New Publications from Generations Aheadby Marcy DarnovskyBiopolitical TimesDecember 22nd, 2009Reports from convenings on DNA forensics and communities of color, and on discussions among disability rights and reproductive rights and justice advocates.
UK Feminist Campaign: No2Eggsploitationby Marcy DarnovskyBiopolitical TimesDecember 15th, 2009The UK's fertility watchdog agency is considering revoking the rule that limits payments to women who provide eggs for other people's IVF treatment. A network of British feminists objects.
Hwang is Convictedby Pete ShanksBiopolitical TimesOctober 27th, 2009Hwang Woo-Suk, the notorious Korean stem-cell and cloning researcher, was given a suspended two-year prison sentence and three years of probation by a Seoul court on Monday.
California warning labels: "Donating" eggs may be hazardous to your healthby Marcy DarnovskyBiopolitical TimesOctober 13th, 2009A new first-in-the-nation law will require that ads recruiting women to provide their eggs mention the health risks entailed.
Google Babyby Marcy DarnovskyBiopolitical TimesOctober 9th, 2009An Israeli documentary offers an excruciatingly up-close look at India's booming global surrogacy industry.
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