personhood: in vitro fertilization (ivf)

8/3/2019 Personhood: In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

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A Weekly Column By Walter B. Hoye II

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Interest

In the abortion debate, is there a "Conflict of Interest"within the Black community and among her leaders?

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Personhood: In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) is a process where oocyte

cells are fertilized by sperm cells outside the body: In

Vitro. The process involves hormonally controlling the

ovulatory process, removing oocytes from the woman's

ovaries and letting male sperm fertilize them in a fluid

medium. The blastocyst, (three (3) to five (5) day old

embryo), is then transferred to the uterus with the intent to establish a successful

pregnancy.1

The first successful birth of a "TestTube Baby", Louise Joy Brown,occurred Tuesday, July 25th, 1978, five (5) years, six (6) months, three (3) days

after Roe v. Wade on Monday, January 22nd, 1973. Robert G. Edwards, the

physiologist who developed the treatment, was awarded the Nobel Prize in

Physiology or Medicine in 2010.

Let's be clear: Personhood WillNOTBan or OutlawInVitroFertilization

Personhood: Embryonic Human Beings

Many have expressed fear about how Personhood will impact In Vitro

Fertilization because the process often creates more embryonic human beings

than are implanted in the mother's womb and the excess are usually discarded.


In fact many "left-over" embryos are "donated" for use in purely destructive


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research; even "abnormal disabled embryos" are "donated" for "studying

diseases".

In a Tuesday, September 7th, 2010 press release, the

American College of Embryology (ACE) ardently

opposed DH-08-001 (regulation pending in California) that

proposes to define human embryos as diagnostic

specimens. 2 ACE testified that "within diagnostic

laboratories working with human specimens, there areclear pre-analytical, analytical and post-analytical phases.

At the end of the process the specimen is discarded as biological waste or stored,

but in either case, the specimen is rendered non-viable. Diagnostic laboratory

quality is measured in accuracy, sensitivity and specificity etc, according to the

federal standards set by CLIA 88. On the other hand, human embryos do not

become specimens at any stage of the process in the embryology laboratory. On

the contrary, embryos are created with the intent to be transferred into the uterus to

achieve pregnancy and all efforts are made to keep them viable. Embryology

laboratory quality is measured in the percentage of embryos becoming live-born

children." 3


Personhood will require ethical standards to forbid the intentional mass production,

genetic selection and harvesting of embryos for research. WesleyJ.Smith, J.D.,

Special Consultant to the Center for Bioethics and Culture Network (CBC) has this

to say: "Let's hope the California bureaucrats pay heed to the embryologists.

Whatever rules we create for nascent humans, should recognize that they are

distinct human organisms. They are not blood cells or pieces of tumor tissue." 4

Personhood: IVF Mothers Know The Truth

"The morality of the 21st century will depend on how we respond to this simple but profound question: Does every human life have

equal moral value simply and merely because it is human?" Wesley J. Smith, J.D.5

IVFMothers know the yearning in their hearts to fill the

void that can only be filled by a child. They go through

tests, spend thousands of dollars to have the oocyte and

sperm unite so one unique individual will begin to grow to

the stage it can be instilled in her womb where it willimplant, continue growth and be born. The entire

expectation of each infertile woman is that the single-cell human embryo, who was

sexually or asexually reproduced In Vitro, allowed to grow bigger, and then

implanted in her womb, will one day be held in her arms and in her heart. IVF

Mothers believe that the tiny embryos who are implanted in their wombs are human

beings, human Persons, right from the beginning of their development. IVF

Mothers, perhaps better than any of us, understand that the only product of a

human male and a human female is a human being. A human being that deserves


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to be protected by love and by law.


On Starbuck's take-away coffee cups as part of its "TheWayISeeIt" campaign in

2006 was a profound question posed by WesleyJ.Smith.6

Here it is:

"Does every human life have equal moral value simply and merely because it is

human?

AnswerYes, and we have a chance of achieving universal human rights.

AnswerNo, and it means that we are merely another animal in the forest."

Personhood answers: "Yes".

Brothers, we really need to talk.

Reference(s):

1. According to Dr. Dianne N. Irving, M.A., Ph.D.; former career-appointed bench research biologist/biochemist, NCI, NIH;

philosopher and medical ethicist (http://bit.ly/tLE8zB), the embryo must be in the correct stage of development in order to implant in

the woman's uterus. If he or she is too young or too old implantation will not happen and the embryo simply dies. This is the basis

for some of the mechanisms of action used in most contraceptives.

2. Houston, Texas September 7, 2010 American College of Embryology (ACE) opposes ruling DH-08-001 pending in

California, which aims to regulate human embryos as diagnostic specimens (http://bit.ly/f2RYVT).

3. Ibid.

4. Wesley J. Smith, "American College of Embryology Opposes Defining Embryos as Mere 'Diagnostic Specimens' in California"

(http://bit.ly/svLs43).

5. Wesley J. Smith, Featured on Starbuck's take-away coffee cups as part of its "The Way I See It" 2006 Campaign

(http://bit.ly/b83dKq)6. Ibid.

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personhood: in vitro fertilization (ivf)

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