Politics
Friday August 11, 2006
Barely Studied Risks of Egg-Donation Come Under Scrutiny
TODAY'S HEADLINES
E-MAIL
PRINT
By Hilary White
August 11, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A report in the scientific journal, Nature, warns would-be parents that health problems with children conceived artificially in IVF labs could take years to emerge.
Pro-life advocates who have objected to embryonic research have pointed out that the number of ova needed for large-scale stem cell and cloning experiments place women – especially poor women – in danger of economic exploitation. Now Nature is exploring whether the heavy demand for ova in IVF and related industries are not also a threat to women’s health.
Nature reporter Helen Pearson writes that doctors first started asking about the possible dangers of egg-retreival drugs when a 39 year-old woman died of cancer years after donating ova to her infertile sister. Studies have indicated that the drugs used to stimulate ovarian follicles could be linked to the development of some kinds of cancer.
Pearson writes that doctors say systematic research needs to be undertaken to examine all aspects of ova donation and possible long-term consequences. Ethical matters, however, are taking a back seat to questions of availability as the stem cell and cloning experiments are increasingly appoved by national governments. While one large, long-term study is under way in the Netherlands, some doctors worry that any negative press will discourage donors.
The British Human Fertility and Embryology Authority (HFEA) will meet next month to discuss the problem. But the HFEA is unlikely to be willing to halt its embryo experimentation track. In February, the government regulatory agency – considered by many to be among the most permissive in the world – proposed allowing “altruistic” ova donation to fuel the embryonic stem cell and cloning experiments it has already approved.
Read the full report in Nature:
http://www.nature.com/news/2006/060807/full/442607a.html
Read related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
Feminist Revolutionary Warns of Exploitation of Women with Cloning Research
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/mar/05030303.html
British Woman Died of Internal Bleeding After IVF Procedure
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/aug/06081006.html
Back to TopLatest Headlines
- US Congress Passes Health Care Reform Bill 220 - 215
- Stupak Amendment to Health Care Bill Passes 240 - 194 Saturday Evening
- NY Times: Dems Banking on Later Squeezing Pro-Life Language Out of Bill in Committee
- USCCB Spokesman: "Definitely Not True" that Bishops Support Bill As it Stands
- TIME Got it Wrong - Prof. George Opposed Grandiose Kennedy Funeral
- Major Health Care Development - Pro-Life Stupak Amendment Vote OK'd for Saturday
- USCCB Condemnation Tears Facade off "Phony" Abortion Compromise for Health Bill
- Health Care Bill Includes Monthly Abortion Premium: House Minority Leader Boehner
- TIME Article Setting Burke Against O'Malley Called "Tactical strike" on Behalf of Catholic Left
- Dirty Fighting on Abortion Funding: Word-Games and Health-Care Theatrics Boggle the Mind
- Commentary on November 6 News
- Note to LifeSiteNews Subscribers with Rogers email addresses
- New York Gov. Declares Nov. 10 Extraordinary Legislative Session for Same-Sex "Marriage"
- Washington's Pro-Family Amendment Effort Defeated - R-71 Almost Certain to Pass
- Vote Pushed Back on Canadian Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide Bill to Dec. 2
- Elderly U.K. Couple in Good Health Commit Suicide, Complain of Assisted Suicide Law
- Texas Late-Term Abortionist and Baptist Minister Admits: "Am I killing? Yes, I am"
- New Evidence Contradicts CCHD's Findings on Accused Pro-Abortion Partner
- Quebec Priest Denies Possibility of Sexual Reorientation Therapy on TV
- New Hampshire Same-Sex "Marriage" Law in Crosshairs after Maine's Law Crumbles
- Brooklyn Bishop Criticized for Recorded Message Praising Pro-Abortion Politician
- First Group of "Traditionalist" Anglicans in Britain Votes to Enter Catholic Church
Most Read this Week
- Planned Parenthood Director Resigns after Watching Ultrasound of Abortion Procedure
- Nun Defiant Following Rebuke, but Stops Abortion Escorting
- Breaking: Dominican Community Apologizes for Nun Caught Acting as Abortion Escort
- TIME Article Setting Burke Against O'Malley Called "Tactical strike" on Behalf of Catholics Left
- Over 200 Christendom College Students Protest Abortion at Planned Parenthood Clinic
- US Congress Passes Health Care Reform Bill 218 to 215
- Newly Identified Corporate Supporters of Planned Parenthood Named
- Scottish Gay Rights Activists Found Guilty of Pedophilia Sentenced to Life Imprisonment
- Major Health Care Bill Development - Stupak Hyde Amendment Vote OK'd
- Health Care Bill Includes Monthly Abortion Premium: House Minority Leader Boehner
MORE NEWS: 
LifeSiteNews.com Home Page Last 10 Days Archives Special Reports
Copyright © LifeSiteNews.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License. You may republish this article or portions of it without request provided the content is not altered and it is clearly attributed to "LifeSiteNews.com". Any website publishing of complete or large portions of original LifeSiteNews articles MUST additionally include a live link to www.LifeSiteNews.com. The link is not required for excerpts. Republishing of articles on LifeSiteNews.com from other sources as noted is subject to the conditions of those sources.