A November 19, 2012 LA Times article, “An ethics debate over embryos on the cheap” reported a new inexpensive method of human reproduction, “by creating a single batch of embryos from one egg donor and one sperm donor, then divvying it up among several patients have.” They have no genetic connection to their children, and those children will probably have full biological siblings born to other parents.” Some people are choosing this controversial strategy for financial reasons.
There are two issues mentioned in this article that are very concerning:
- “Natosha, who was adopted at birth, said adoption was their backup plan. But finding a child, especially a healthy infant, can take years and cost far more than $9,800 in lawyer and agency fees.”
- “As for concerns that biological siblings could unwittingly meet someday and mix their genes, Zeringue said the chances are remote because patients are scattered geographically.”
This leads me to wonder: why do they make it so hard for people to adopt a child, while there are so many orphans who need adoptive homes? Is it simply to create more profits for lawyers and agencies?
I rescue animals, mainly dogs, and as all other rescuers and people who care about animals, I am frustrated whenever people buy dogs from breeders while tens of thousands are killed in the pounds every year in Los Angeles alone.
So, when I read this LA Times article, I found it disturbing to realize that they are doing the same to human children, too. Even if some people are willing to adopt a child, as there is a surplus of children needing adoptive homes, the adoption system is making it so difficult that those who desperately want to have children are now swayed to this controversial and artificial reproduction strategy.
When asked about biological siblings unknowingly mating and mixing their genes, Zeringue brushed off the possibility because “patients are scattered geographically.”
People travel. They move. Well, this could be thought-provoking movie material: Harry goes to Paris from Riverside, CA. Sally goes to Paris from Albany, NY. They meet and fall in love, only then to find out they are genetically brother and sister.
This scenario wouldn’t be entertaining in real life — what if they do not find out until after Sally gets pregnant and pre-natal tests show a genetic abnormality that could only be caused by siblings mating?
Zeringue’s irresponsible comment reminded me of breeders inbreeding their dogs for profit. When will people, society and the system start respecting “life”? Whether for pets or humans, reproductive industries have no respect for life’s natural state, and it’s sadly all about money.
There are people like Natosha, willing to adopt a child. Let them. Stop making it so hard that they are coerced into this sci-fi plot, while there are so many children languishing in orphanages. The same applies to the pet industry, where breeders continue breeding while there are so many dogs and cats being killed in the pounds.
These for-profit reproduction businesses should be banned until there are no more animals killed in the pounds and no more children left in an orphanages.
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Marie Atake is Founder & President of Forte Animal Rescue and a former Commissioner on the Board of L.A. Animal Services. Click on “subscribe” to receive notice when her new articles are published.
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