News

CANBERRA, March 25, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Australia is now retreating from its former “absolute” ban on the export of human embryos after it emerged during Senate debate that the prohibition would have the unintended effect of preventing couples from taking their own embryos overseas for IVF treatment.  In order to protect the apparent sanctity of artificial fertility treatments (and in spite of mounting evidence that birth defects are much more likely among IVF children), the government is now considering amendments “to allow women to export embryos for their own invitro fertilisation purposes and related matters.”  The legislation says the export of a human embryo “is prohibited absolutely.” An explanatory note makes it clear the regulation would “have an impact on those couples who wish to export their embryos for the purposes of their own ART [assisted reproduction technology] treatment or to donate to another couple”.  For more details:  https://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/03/25/1048354601230.html