Search is Powered by Google
Follow us on:
Follow our health news on Twitter
Follow Our News on Facebook
Personalization
login | register
Pregnancy / Obstetrics News

Newspapers Examine Catholic Documents That Equate IVF, Pre-Implantation Diagnosis With Abortion

Main Category: Pregnancy / Obstetrics
Also Included In: Fertility;  Women's Health / Gynecology;  Abortion
Article Date: 16 Dec 2008 - 4:00 PDT

email icon email to a friend   printer icon printer friendly   write icon view / write opinions   rate icon rate article


Current Article Ratings:

Patient / Public:not yet rated

Health Professional:4 stars

4 (1 votes)

Article Opinions: 0 posts

Two newspapers on Saturday examined a new Roman Catholic Church document, released Friday, that condemns efforts by infertile couples to adopt or implant frozen embryos, saying that such methods are as immoral as destroying embryos for stem cell research. The document, titled "Dignitas Personae (Human Dignity): On Certain Bioethical Questions," states, "The desire for a child cannot justify the 'production' of offspring, just as the desire not to have a child cannot justify the abandonment or destruction of a child once he or she has been conceived." It adds that diagnosing embryos for diseases or genetic flaws before implantation is "shameful and reprehensible" and that such techniques, like prescribing or using contraception that prevents implantation, lead to "the sin of abortion." The document does not offer a clear solution for what to do with currently frozen embryos, which it says "represent a situation of injustice which in fact cannot be resolved" (Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 12/12).

~ New York Times: There was "little new" information in the document, but some of the information, such as the church's ban on IVF, might "come as a surprise," the Times reports (Goldstein/Povoledo, New York Times, 12/13).

~ Washington Post: The document "triggered intense debate" about "some of the most contentious issues in modern biological research, including stem cells, designer babies, cloning and a host of techniques widely used to prevent pregnancy and to help infertile couples have children," the Post reports. According to the Post, the document reflects the church's "desire to focus attention on ethical questions raised by a new generation of technologies that are becoming increasingly common." Richard Doerflinger of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said the document "makes very clear that the church is very closely watching scientific progress and favors that progress but wants ethics to be part of that" (Boorstein/Stein, Washington Post, 12/13).

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.

© 2008 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.




Personalized Homepage Weekly Newsletters Daily News Alerts
Hemophilia Opioid Induced Constipation Pneumococcal Disease ADHD Anxiety Asthma Atrial Fibrillation Autism Cancer Diabetes Lung Cancer Lupus Medicare / Medicaid Obesity and BMI Pancreatic Cancer Stem Cells All 'What Is...' Articles

Ophthalmology Urology
About Us News Licensing Free Website Feeds Free Tools & Content Tell a Friend Accessibility Help / FAQ Article Submission Links Contact Us

add medical news today to your facebook
medical news gadget

Please fill in our survey

Swine Flu Image

Swine Flu Updates

- Latest Swine Flu News
- What is Swine Flu?
- Map Of H1N1 Outbreaks
- Swine Flu - Top 20 FAQ
- Daily Email News Alerts
Stick with Medical News Today for the latest news updates on swine flu.


These are the most read articles from this news category for the last 6 months:
Top Article Star
What Is Pregnancy? How Do I Know If I Am Pregnant?
04 Jun 2009
Put simply, if any of these signs and symptoms apply to you, there is a good chance you are pregnant. The first symptom is a must, the others are possibilities. In other words, if your breasts are tender but your period has...


Exercise Is Beneficial for Expectant Mothers image Exercise Is Beneficial for Expectant Mothers

Experts say that exercise is an excellent idea for most expectant mothers...

Talking with Your Doctor image Talking with Your Doctor

Talking with your doctor can sometimes be difficult. Good health care, however, depends on an open dialogue between patients and doctors...

View more videos...