Britons will be allowed to use artificial sperm
On Sunday, it became known that a number of ministers intend to support amendments to the bill that will allow the use of artificially created gametes - sperm and egg - to induce pregnancy by in vitro fertilization (IVF). Artificial spermatozoa are obtained in the laboratory from embryonic cells. In the future, the development of this technology will allow patients suffering from cancer and who have become infertile as a result of treatment, as well as women whose body is not able to independently "produce" an egg, to have genetically related children.
The representative of the Liberal Democrats party, the Shadow Cabinet Minister of Science and a member of the House of Commons Committee on Science and Technology, Evan Harris, who proposed these amendments, said: "There is no sufficient reason to prohibit people who have had cancer and now cannot have children from using this opportunity."
According to Health Minister Don Primarolo, the new technology will help to cope with the shortage of donor sperm. But, as the minister added, there are "serious ethical issues" here. Research in this area has begun recently, and so far only fertilization of mice has been carried out in this way. It will take 10 years before it will be possible to cause pregnancy in a person with the help of this technology.
The initiative group of the Commission on Reproductive Ethics believes that the use of new technology can lead to "ultimate incest" when a person becomes both a mother and a father of the same child. The most recent reaction to the amendments was the anger of Catholic Labor. They have already rejected the government's proposal to abstain from voting on the bill - an innovation implemented as part of the legislative reform program, which was discussed in the Queen's annual speech.
The amendments were defended by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who believes that the new technology is necessary in the fight against such ailments as motor neurone disease and cystic fibrosis. The bill allows the creation of hybrid human and animal embryos by incorporating animal cells or DNA into a human embryo or human cells into animal eggs. According to the bill, the embryos obtained will be used for scientific purposes and then destroyed.
In addition, the bill provides for the reform of laws on fertilization. If it is accepted, IVF clinics will not have to take into account the "need for a father." This will allow lesbian couples to be considered the legal parents of the unborn child.
Labour MPs may be forced by their party leadership to adopt a new amendment. Meanwhile, the Conservatives have given their party colleagues in parliament the right to vote as each of them sees fit, guided by their own conscience.
Cabinet members are usually bound by collective responsibility and are required to support any government bill. However, Defence Minister Des Browne, Transport Minister Ruth Kelly and Welsh Affairs Minister Paul Murphy are threatening to oppose the law based on religious grounds. Brown is expected to tell them that they can abstain from voting. However, if they vote against it, they will lose their posts in the government.
Consideration of the bill, which is due to be voted on within the next two months, has already been postponed to give lawmakers time to work out a compromise solution.
The main provisions of the Bill on human fertilization and Embryology
Chimera embryosWith the adoption of the bill, scientists will be able to create a "chimera" - a hybrid embryo by placing human DNA in an animal cell.
The resulting embryo can be used for research purposes, but activists advocating for the human right to life and Catholic parliamentarians believe that these embryos are human and that such fertilization entails the unnecessary destruction of human life. According to scientists, the study of the hybrid embryo will allow us to better understand the nature of diseases such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, as well as motor neuron disease. Implanting hybrid embryos into the body of a woman or an animal will be prohibited, but critics of the law fear that independent scientists will illegally try to create a chimera child.
Same-sex parentsIVF clinics will no longer have to take into account that a father is needed to raise a child.
The new bill recognizes same-sex partners as official parents, which will allow lesbians to have children. The head of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, Cardinal Cormac Murphy OConnor, condemned the new law, calling it deeply wrong.
Embryo scanningThe bill allows embryo scanning in order to identify genetic abnormalities that may lead to non-viability of the embryo or serious diseases.
Embryo scanning can also be carried out when it is necessary to identify whether the unborn child has a hereditary predisposition to any deadly disease that was previously detected in his relatives.
Parents will be prohibited from deliberately choosing an embryo in which any deviation can potentially develop. This point has caused discontent among some parents suffering from deafness, who would like their child to be deaf too. The selection of an embryo based on its sex is also prohibited.
Information for childrenChildren conceived with the help of donor sperm or eggs will be able to request information about their half-sisters and brothers conceived from the same donor upon reaching the age of 16.
They will also be allowed to check whether the person they want to marry is their close relative, and request information about their donor parent.
©The Daily Telegraph, 12.03.2008
The material was published in Gazeta No. 45 dated 13.03.2008.
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13.03.2008