Bioethics: Fetal Tissue Research and Transplantation in Essay

Bioethics:

Fetal tissue research and transplantation in the scientific research community has grown to attract huge debate and controversies since the late 1980s when doctors began to conclude that the bodies of unborn babies could be used in tackling certain diseases. This aspect continued to develop as scientists proposed that fetal tissue can also be used in helping infertile couples to have children. This is largely because these tissues can be used to develop means of contraception and ultimately used for bone marrow transplants. Actually, fetal tissue is currently used for bone marrow transplants for adult transplant donors. However, many medical ethicists and doctors argue that such scientific procedures cannot be effective as stated by its proponents. In the recent years, there have been various calls for the use of the eggs of aborted fetuses to assist infertile couples to have babies.

Use of the Eggs of Aborted Fetuses in Helping Infertile Couples:

As previously mentioned, there has been an emergence of calls to use eggs from aborted fetuses for fertility treatment to help infertile couples to have babies. This procedure can eventually be used to develop and grow eggs for fertility treatment in order to assist these childless couples ("Warnock Backs New Fertility Treatment" par, 5). Actually, according to reports from a recent conference, the technique had proven to be successful in growing egg-producing follicles that were taken from aborted human fetuses.

Fertility treatment through the use of eggs of aborted fetuses has attracted an intense ethical debate despite of its ability to produce a human baby within three years. This procedure basically involves retrieving eggs from aborted female fetuses, fertilizing them, and positioning them in infertile women. With the increased shortage of human eggs for fertility treatments across the globe, it's argued that this technique could be helpful in provide necessary resources for such treatments. Therefore, the eggs of aborted fetuses should be used in fertility treatments to assist infertile couples to have babies due to the following reasons

Provision Source for Egg Shortages:

There is a worldwide shortage of human eggs for treatments for fertility since women are born with a finite number of eggs that reduce over time ("Aborted Fetuses" par, 2). The current demand for donated eggs is more than the supply because of the continual diminishing of women's finite number of eggs. Actually, the only chance of hope and success for older women who want to have babies is through the donation from a younger woman.One of the reasons why this technique should be used to assist infertile couples is because it serves as an extra source for the worldwide egg shortages. This extra source would prove to be helpful to the increasing number desperate women especially those who have reached menopause.

Beneficial Use of Aborted Fetuses:

One of the major arguments that have been raised by opponents of this technique is the likelihood of the increase in the demand for abortions and the total number of conducted abortions (Bunnell par, 3). However, this technique should be used for fertility treatment since it might bring some beneficial use of abortions, particularly if they are going to occur. While the abortion is regarded as tragedy because of the termination of life, using aborted fetuses to assist infertile couples will bring some benefits from such tragedies.

Many doctors and proponents argue that it would be helpful to make good use of aborted tissues for a noble course rather than wasting them. Using eggs of aborted fetuses to help childless women in fertility treatment is one of the major ways with which aborted tissues can be used for a noble course and prevent their wastage. While the procedure will complicate discussions regarding abortion, it an effective means of using such incidents positively.

Success in Other Scientific Fields:

The other reason why this procedure should be used for fertility treatments is the probability of rapid success as stated by its proponents. This is because of the success that fetal tissue transplant has resulted in success on treating patients with Parkinson's disease….....