Risks of medical fertilization treatments.
Rebecca L. Skloot writes in today’s New York Times of the many risks of medical fertilization treatments, including in vitro fertilization, intercytoplasmic sperm injection, and the involvement of animal cells in human reproduction. (*) The incoming tide of human cloning—that Congress has unfortunately not yet acted against—just draws the issues more sharply. These treatments may double the risk of birth defects. Yet, fertility clinics, many of which are for-profit, are not even required to inform patients of the risks.
This whole industry is totally unregulated in the USA, leading to a cowboy culture where nearly any level of ethical catastrophe can occur without even a report to notify the public. While we are still many years sail from The Island of Dr. Moreau, public regulation of this industry is needed to protect children from debilitating illnesses and conditions.