Mark Henderson in The Times reports that a new genetic test has been developed which will enable parents undergoing IVF to test and destroy embryos which have a higher risk of suffering from diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimers or cancer. The emphasis of the article is very much about testing -the fact that embryos will be destroyed is completely glossed over. To all intents and purposes, this development is treated like a medical breakthrough, when in fact, it doesn’t treat anyone at all, it simply destroys.
No one who opposes the destruction of embryos is quoted, the only person allowed to comment is the IVF doctor who developed the test, who has a vested interest in its promotion. There is no mention of the fact that many of these conditions are now treatable or that these embryos could enjoy four or five decades before suffering from these late onset conditions. By promoting, not simply reporting this development, The Times isn’t fulfiling its democratic duty to inform the public. Failing to emphasise the negative aspects of embryo testing and destruction is totally unfair to parents who are being sold embryo testing and encouraged to opt for destruction of that embryo, under the incredible guise of helping the child.
As one of the most respected broadsheets in the UK, reporting on a major area of ethics – the creation and destruction of human life, who should live and who should die, why is no one quoted who opposes this? The ProLife Alliance has always supported treatments and cures and opposed the destruction of embryos. Why can’t we channel the hundreds of thousands of pounds wasted on embryo research and expensive IVF cycles on the NHS paid for by the taxpayer, into either developing treatments for these conditions or giving patients existing treatments which work but are denied to them on cost grounds?
And why is the most obvious point not made – pretty much the entire population of the UK is going to suffer from one of these conditions at some point during their life so why destroy embryos which are not much different than the rest of us?
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