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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Elana Hayasaka, Publications Program, Our Bodies Ourselves, 34 Plympton Street, Boston, MA 02118, 617-451-3666 ext. 15, elana@bwhbc.org

Multiple egg extraction techniques pose a range of risks and ethical challenges that require careful consideration before they become widely used as a means of gathering eggs for embryo cloning research. Women need to weigh carefully the attractive monetary incentives against the very serious risks - both known and unknown - to their long term health. In particular, important questions remain about the safety of drugs such as leuprolide acetate. Furthermore, women should understand the important distinctions between most embryo stem cell research (which can utilize otherwise-discarded embryos from IVF clinics) and embryo stem cell research that involves clonal embryos. The latter does offer a means of creating new disease models that enhance our basic knowledge, but researchers increasingly doubt that it will be a route to "individualized" therapies, as the public so often reads about in the media. The overly-zealous pursuit of eggs must not sacrifice a rigorous informed consent process. Ethical concerns regarding potential non-medical applications of embryo cloning technology also need more public discourse.

Learning Objectives: At the end of the session, the participant will be able to

• Identify 3 major health risks for women undergoing multiple egg extraction.
• Name 2 limitations of current safety data for leuprolide acetate.
• Identify an ethically problematic application of somatic cell nuclear transfer.

Keywords: Women's Health, Research

Related Web page: www.ourbodiesourselves.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation