The Idea of Progress: what are the promises and perils of biotechnology?

Ideas of progress

What are the promises and perils of biotechnology?

I) Positive points

• Pre implantation genetic diagnosis (Gattaca)
  - couples: choose healthy embryos in order to avoid genetic disease.
  - and choose hair color eye color  by gen. selection (although this could be criticized)

• Design your Baby - Text B (p65)

Because she had Fanconi's Anemia, an immedicable disease, Molly Nash, teenager of 15 y-o had a 7 years life expectancy when she was born. Nevertheless, Molly's parents, as they knew their daughter wasn't going to live adult, conceived another child, Adam in a test-tube so that Adam could save, indirectly, his older sister thanks to his cord blood cells (cellule de sang du placenta).

• Surrogate mothers

In many countries : there is an alternative to adoption for people who can't have babies. They  call out surrogate mothers : a woman who carries a baby for somebody else. This process is roughly (= grossièrement) the unique possibility for a couple to have a baby in a natural way. Morover it helps the surrogate mother who is well paid, and that's the way modern women are. It's, however, forbidden in France.

• Possibility to transplant organs in case of accident ( Isabelle Dimoire who was attacked by her dog and received a graft of nose - lips - chin )

II) Negative points

• PGD (=Pre Genetic Diagnosis) raises ethical issues : choosing the trait of a baby can be considered as inhuman attempt(=tentative) to play GOD : that's against religions such as Islam or Christianity.  Moreover, it's against nature laws as nature selects randomly the traits of a baby.

But, it raises also bio-diversity issues: if everybody uses the PGD all the humans would be created on the same model, as everyone wants a perfect baby: intelligent, strong; and humanity would be more likely (= serait plus susceptibles ) to suffer a Pandemic.

However, if the use of the PGD becomes common, the inequalities regarding (= concernant ) the rich and the poor might increase (=augmenter), as the poor  wouldn't be able to choose a perfect baby.

• Surrogate mothers

Even if Surrogate mothers help couples having a baby, there are bad sides: The SM can be rejected by their social environment (family, friends).

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