"The motivation is abortion"

“The motivation is abortion,” says R. Alta Charo, a professor of law and bioethics at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. “If the Supreme Court allows states to declare embryos as personhood, you would be in a position to say immediately that all abortions have to stop.”

LifeEthics covered this story a few days ago, but this quote deserves a second look - and repeating for the record.

The comment by (Robin) Alta Charo in the LA Times explains the opposition of "Resolve," the National Infertility Association, to Colorado's proposed State Constitutional Amendment 48. That Amendment reads,

“The term ‘person’ or ‘persons’ shall include any human from the time of fertilization.”

Here's an article on a rally in Colorado opposing the Amendment, led by Resolve.

The "foes" of the amendment are claiming that it would criminalize "several forms of contraception" and in vitro fertilization. However, I believe that IVF could be carried out in a manner that respects each individual begun that way, if each is treated as a human being deserving of life.

First babies from "Lab Grown Eggs"

Well, the news out of Great Britain that apparently healthy twins were born from a new technique involving maturation of human oocytes - "eggs" - outside of the body will probably be hailed as the solution to the problem of where to get the eggs for embryonic stem cell and cloning research. It won't solve the problem that I asked earlier today as to whether and why it's important or ethical.

It's interesting that the article emphasizes the danger of Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome:

In mild and moderate cases, affecting up to 20% of women undergoing ovary stimulation, this leads to symptoms such as swelling and breathlessness that resolves.

However, in about 1% the symptoms can become so severe that they are deadly. Among women with PCOS [Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome], the rate is nearer 5-10%.

Thanks to Wired Science blog for the tip.