Nobody's Child, Everybody's Children:

Nobody’s Mother: The Ethics of Research on Human Embryos

Intense public debate about the ethics and politics of conducting research on human embryos primarily centers on the fact that embryo research inevitably leads to the destruction of the embryo; hence, most people believe that it is essential to resolve the question of when human life begins. The debate has become particularly heated in recent years after scientists discovered the potential value of pursuing research on stem cells derived from human embryos (or pre-embryos). It is widely accepted that embryonic stem cell research holds the promise of finding treatments, even cures, for a large number of serious diseases and forms of disability. At present, the major impediment researchers must contend with is the widely held conviction that human life should be protected from the moment of conception (fertilization) and, therefore, embryonic stem cell research should be prohibited.

There is an important gap in the public discussion of embryonic stem cell research, however. Specifically, there is virtually no acknowledgment of the fact that the embryos to be used in generating the stem cells all originate as ova and sperm and all of the eggs must be collected from women. Indeed, the embryos used are collected from women who undergo IVF as a response to infertility or in order to subject their embryos to PGD. The drugs and procedures used to collect ova pose a significant threat to the health of the women involved. (OHSS is estimated to affect 10-20% of women who undergo egg extraction). The promise of technological breakthroughs emerging from embryonic stem cell research creates a competitive research climate that inevitably generates conflicts of interest on the part of those who perform egg extraction. Practitioners may be tempted to administer higher doses of hormones as they try to increase the supply of “surplus” embryos in order to ensure an adequate number for research purposes. Under such conditions, women face increased health risks and exploitation. Even the recent news that scientists have succeeded in producing embryonic stem cell lines through the process of PGD does not remove the threat to women’s health and well-being. Despite these dangers, women remain largely invisible in the public debate.

I shall argue that it is essential to move women’s freedom, health, and well-being to the center of the embryonic stem cell debate.