Here’s a breakthrough: A simple blood test can reveal the gender of a developing fetus. Accurately. And as early as five weeks. It’s extremely cool, but a bit daunting, too.
University of Pennsylvania bioethicist and msnbc.com contributor Arthur Caplan, Ph.D., calls the techonology “very useful,” but points out that for most inherited disorders there are few therapies, which means “elective abortion is just about the only option in response to fetal testing.” While most doctors would discourage its use merely to select gender, its increasing availability “puts physicians in the position of offering testing that may lead to abortions for non-medical reasons,” making the test “fraught with ethical problems.”
There’s no stopping science. There’s only stopping ourselves from using it for the wrong purposes.
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BillyHW says
Who is “ourselves.” We know we’re all talking about Asian barbarians who murder their daughters simply because they are female.
Jon says
“Ourselves” are the yahoos who murder both their sons and daughters simply because children might mean a lower standard of living (not in the long run, but what Westerner cares about the long run?). Does he self-sacrifice or sacrifice his child? And I don’t think that with their ancestor worship the “Asian barbarians” are in any danger of collectively killing their parents as the “civilized” Dutch do.
BillyHW says
Oh, grow a penis, Jon.
Brigitte Pellerin says
Billy: There are ways to make your points without being uncivil and vulgar.
Heather P. says
It’s so sad… when I read the tag line I got all excited; as a pregnant mom (on my 3rd little angel) I really wanted to know the gender of this little one when I went into my ultrasound. We wanted to know in order to coordinate colours, change around rooms if needed (it is), and pick a name (which we haven’t yet)…. I can’t imagine wanting to know in order to decide if this one is the “correct” gender… Articles like this make me want to cry for the state of humanity today… or maybe that’s just my hormones.
On another note: Billy, please restrict yourself to ‘polite’ generalizations of entire cultures if you feel you must insert your 2 cents worth. Just a thought.