Bioethics

Question 1

What is bioethics ?

Answer 1

Bioethics is the study of the ethical and moral implications of new biology discoveries and biomedical advances.

Question 2

What are 2 things bioethics looks at?

Answer 2

1. Creating Life - this involves the different types of fertility treatment available for childless couples and the questions arising from them.
2. Maintaining Life - this includes how science is used to help keep people alive longer. An important element of this is medical research.

Question 3

What is infertility?

Answer 3

Infertility is when a couple are unable to have a baby naturally. In the UK around one in seven couples may have difficulty conceiving.

Question 4

What does IVF stand for ?

Answer 4

IVF stands for in vitro fertilisation. ‘In vitro is Latin for ‘in glass’.

Question 5

What is IUI and AI?

Answer 5

Intrauterine Insemination

Artificial Insemination

Question 6

What happens during IUI?

Answer 6

Sperm is collected from semen samples and, using a syringe, is introduced into the woman’s uterus when she is ovulating. The aim is to fertilise the egg.

Question 7

What are the 2 types of IUI and what are they?

Answer 7

1. IUI by partner or husband- This occurs when the husband or male partner has healthy sperm but he may have a low sperm count.
2. IUI by donor-This occurs if the husband or partner’s sperm is not healthy, if he has no sperm count at all or if the woman does not have a male partner.

Question 8

What happens to spare embryos from IVF?

Answer 8

Spare embryos are either destroyed , frozen for future pregnancies or donated to medical research.

Question 9

Why do some Christian’s don’t agree with IVF?

Answer 9

Some Christians call it adultery as the donor is not married to the woman or vice versa.

Question 10

What are is the greatest risk with IVF?

Answer 10

Multiple births - increased risk for both mother and babies eg high blood pressure, gestational diabetes and premature birth, life long disabilities for the babies

Question 11

What are designer babies?

Answer 11

This is when an embryo is modified to produce desirable qualities. It would allow couples to select the qualities they would like their baby to have eg sex of the child.

Question 12

Why is identity an issue with IVF or IUI from a donor?

Answer 12

Children born from IVF or IUI from a donor may feel confused and have many questions. Children born through this way have the right to identify their biological parents when at age 18. There is a small risk that someone born from a donor egg/sperm may meet a half brother or sister and not know. If a sexual relationship develops, this could have a huge ethical implications.

Question 13

What is 3 parent IVF?

Answer 13

It is a procedure where babies can be made from 2 woman and 1 man. It has been developed by scientists to prevent children being born with deadly genetic diseases passed on by their mother. Genetic material from a donor is used to correct certain conditions found in embryos.

Question 14

What does the Warnock Report say on embryos?

Answer 14

The Warnock Report was published, stating that an embryo experimentation was allowed up to 14 days of development because that is when an embryo is distinct individual and can no longer from a twin.

Question 15

What are the 4 points in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology ACT 1990?

Answer 15

1. An authority to monitor fertility treatment.
2. Human embryos produced for research must be discarded after 14 days and cannot be implanted into a woman’s womb.
3. Sperm from donors can be used up to ten fertility treatments. Sperm donors can remain anonymous.
4. Financial gain from surrogacy is illegal.

Question 16

What are the 3 points in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology ACT 2008?

Answer 16

1. It gave same sex couples the right to name both partners on their child’s birth certificate.
2. It banned sex selection of children for non-medical reasons.
3. It made saviour sibling procedure legal.

Question 17

What is human surrogacy ?

Answer 17

Surrogacy means another woman becomes pregnant , carries and gives birth to a baby for someone who wants a child but is unable to do so.

Question 18

What are the 2 types of surrogacy?

Answer 18

1. Traditional surrogacy

2. Gestation surrogacy

Question 19

What happens when surrogacy is successful?

Answer 19

If the procedure is successful the baby is brought up as the child of the couple or single parent. The surrogate mother gives up all rights and responsibilities.

Question 20

What are 4 issues arising from surrogacy?

Answer 20

1. Some Christian’s are uncomfortable with the use of a surrogate mother they consider it as a form of adultery.
2. Surrogacy agreements are not legally binding which could lead up to issues if the surrogate mother wants to keep the child.
3. People desperate for a child maybe willing to pay for the child from surrogate mother.
4. the child may want to find his or her siblings when they are older.

Question 21

What do Christian’s say about the sanctity of life?

Answer 21

Life begins at conception and is sacred because human beings are created in the image of God.

Genesis 1:26

God has planned our lives even before birth

Jeremiah 1:5

Destroying embryos could be regarded as murder

Do not commit murder

Question 22

What does The Catholic Church say about different fertility treatments?

Answer 22

Teaches that embryos have the right to be respected as a person from the movement of conception.

1. Condemn IUI, IVF and surrogacy.
2. Opposes embryo experimentation when such experiments aren’t direct therapeutic benefit of the foetus.
3. Opposes amniocentesis

Question 23

What some other Christian denominations say about fertility treatment?

Answer 23

You created every part of me; you put me together in my birth mothers womb.
Psalms 139
Regard embryos as potential human beings and as such they should be respected and protected. Some are against genetic engineering and stem cell research.

Question 24

What do The Catholic Church say about Marriage and Family?

Answer 24

The Catholic Church is against IVF. It believes that a child has a right to be conceived within marriage as a result of the gift of the sexual union of a husband and wife.

Question 25

What do the Anglican Church say about fertility treatment ?

Answer 25

The Anglican Church accepts IVF in all its forms, including the donation of eggs and sperm by third parties. However individual Anglicans may decide not to use a donor.

Question 26

Why do some people think fertility treatment is playing God?

Answer 26

They argue that having a baby is a gift from God. It is not a right and if a couple are unable to conceive then they should accepts Gods will for them.

Question 27

What is HFEA?

Answer 27

Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority

Question 28

What is the main function of HFEA?

Answer 28

The main function of the HFEA is to license, monitor and inspect fertility clinics and human embryo research centres in the UK.

Question 29

what does the HFEA aim to do?

Answer 29

Ensure that everyone who steps into the fertility clinic, and everyone born as a result of treatment, receives high-quality care.

Question 30

What is Regulation?

Answer 30

Regulation means making sure fertility clinics and research centres follow the law to ensure high-quality care and research.

Question 31

What does the HFEA provide information about?

Answer 31

Fertility treatments 
Egg Freezing 
Donating Eggs or sperm
Researching Clinics
Donors and genetic siblings 
Costs and funding

Question 32

What did Simon Fishel say about the importance on having a regulation?

Answer 32

“Its very important to have a regulation. It takes away ambiguity about what doctors and scientists can do.”