Since the discovery of sex man kid has always been able to reproduce to maintain a healthy population. To some degree human beings can reproduce naturally, but other individuals more specifically African American women need technological help in the form of In Vitro Fertilization create a baby.
When two individuals decide that they want to have a baby it is always a magical moment in their lives. The child bearer is always under tremendous pressure from the time the decision to have a child is made, up until the child is born. Due to many overwhelming factors such as stress, diseases, and genetic implications many women today aren’t healthy enough to physically bear children, so technology must be implemented. In Vitro Fertilization discovered by Patrick Christopher Steptoe and Robert Geoffrey Edwards in the early 1960s. In the year 1978 the world’s first test tube Louise Brown was born proving to be a successful experiment that can change the world forever.
Many scientists have attempted to perform In Vitro Fertilization dating back to the 1800s when Samuel Leopold Schenk experimented with a rabbit and guinea pig. Gregory Pincus, Ernst Vinzenz Enzmann, and Colin Russell Austin are also scientists that were able to produce a successful pregnancy in both animals using IVF. Patrick and Edward were able to perform IVF in humans, which was another breakthrough in the human study. To further explain the process of IVF one must understand how it is done. In Vitro Fertilization the done by extracting eggs and combing it with a sperm sample in a lab. Then the embryo is transferred to the uterus completing the fertilization process in the body. The technology is still used today as it is the most popular form of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART).
Women are beautiful creatures that were designed by nature to help the reproductive process with the ability to give birth. All women are born with the right to give birth, but not all are fortunate to give birth to a child. Firstly, it is hard being a woman in a world dominated by men, so one can only imagine what it is like to carry the world on their shoulders. Secondly, the male sexual partner sperm count is too low it will not be able to reach the egg. Thirdly, Women who suffer from ovulation disorders, premature ovarian failure, and uterine fibroids. Fourthly, genetics has always been an important study, because of illnesses or diseases that can impact pregnancy before and after the child is born. Lastly, women who decided to remove their fallopian tubes will not be able to get pregnant.
In Vitro Fertilizations an experiment that was first tested in animals, but after proven success it has become a common procedure used widely today in humans. The purpose of this procedure was to offer a way for women to become pregnant. As mentioned earlier women can have trouble trying to become pregnant, so this technology is used to make the dream a reality. The success rate for patients who undergo this procedure is about 40 percent but has been increasing over the years as new technological advances. Now with all new discoveries there are always side effects that can cause everything from mild pains or rare cases death. The list of side effects after the procedure includes Constipation, Vaginal Bleeding, Pelvic pain just to name a few. Overall the idea of starting a family proves that people will go to great lengths to achieve their goal even with a life threating risk.
In Vitro Fertilizations changed the way we look at science and technology, but not everyone or group is on board with the procedure. The main laws of the Catholic Church come from (1) the Holy Book i.e. the Bible and (2) the Church’s traditions, which come from Church’s decisional boards, priests and dogmatic teachings (Abdallah, 2008). Accordingly, the 3 leading principles related to the family, the child and reproduction are (1) the protection of the human being from the moment of its conception, (2) that the child is the fruit of marriage, as God commends husband and wife to have children, and (3) that integrity and dignity norms must be taken into consideration in all these matters (Abdallah, 2008). (HN Sallam NH Sallam, 2016)
We live in a world where Christianity is one of the largest religious groups and carries a major influence on a global scale. Most majorreligions have indeed come to tolerate and even embrace IVF, which was originally viewed with equal alarm. But the increasingly commonplace procedure is still condemned at the highest levels of the Catholic Church. “Technology is a great thing, but technology does change us,” said the Rev. Michael J.K. Fuller, executive director of the Secretariat of Doctrine and Canonical Affairs for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. “At some point, we need to ask how much it is changing us and is that a good thing?”. (Ariana Eunjung Cha, 2018). These are some of the potential risks a woman must factor in before she makes a life changing decision.
Money is a resource that is made using natural ingredients, but it doesn’t come by naturally in a sense. For billions of people who live in poverty money is hard to come by so therefore access to medical treatment is out of reach. Despite a record of 5 million IVF babies born in the world, the treatment of infertility by effective methods remains largely the preserve of developed countries. Most infections causing tubal damage are preventable, and assisted conception can treat the infertility. However, assisted conception, despite being available for nearly three decades, is either unavailable or inaccessible to most residents of resource-poor countries. Provision of assisted reproductive technology (ART) to overcome both female and male infertility is in line with the reproductive rights agenda developed at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) at Cairo 15 years ago. (G.N Allahbadia, 2013) Economics has a lot to do with education and it will continue to be the driving force behind opportunity.
In today’s world we are lucky to be expose to better treatment and cures that did not exist back then. Technology allows for DNA testing which can determine the genetic health of someone by studying past and present history. The reality of it all is that billions of people will not be able to access this technology for economic or religious reasons. Now we understand that under developed nation do not have the funding to boost their economies, so the population will suffer. Religion has always been a part of our lives since the discovery of man. What makes religion complex is the fact that there are dozens of them and every group feels they have the answer as to how you should live your life. The most important concept is that no one other than yourself should dictate what you should do with your mind, body, and soul. As a human being it is your god given right to have access to financial freedom and freedom to control your own body.
Humans are always taught to question life and the technology that is used to make it better. In Vitro Fertilizations a great invention, but what happens when you take it too far. Gene Editing is a procedure that allows scientist to create the sex, hair, eye color, and brain health of child even before it is created. One can easily argue that science is defying the laws of nature. It is one thing to create a baby, but when you talk about gene altering you may have to question How safe can this technology be. In a process called somatic gene editing, scientists are exploring ways to treat diseases caused by a single mutated gene such as cystic fibrosis, Huntington’s, and sickle cell disease. The patient’s cells in the affected tissues would be either edited within the body or edited outside and returned to the patient.
In both cases, the corrections would not be passed on to offspring. But in terms of human applications, the most widely debated research involves so-called germline gene editing. This process would alter sperm, eggs, and early stage embryos to protect a child against inheritable diseases such as diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and forms of cancer. But such techniques could also potentially be used to select for specific physical traits or to boost human performance by way of denser bones and greater endurance, creating so-called designer babies. In each application, as a human matured, the altered DNA would be copied into every cell, and passed on to their progeny. (Matthew C. Nisbet, 2018)
Scientist are intelligent human beings whose main purpose is to create treatments and cures using the latest technology to make life better. They simply do not question the morality of a new discovery or the technique used to perform a certain task. In Vitro Fertilization change the lives of millions of people all over the world, but it does not mean that there is major risk. Gene editing will indeed create special human beings, but what if it becomes a new way to control the population. Will designer babies replace the existing babies and become a national trend eliminating the idea of natural conception? The government must put regulations on how babies should be created before we end up in a population crisis.
The world is evolving at a rapid pace, but it does not mean that mankind cannot take a step back and look at ourselves to see the path we are taking. Oftentimes we get carried away with ideas and products that we refuse to question why does is its exist and how will it impact the planet. We want to have a competitive advantage in the field of study, but not having to lose moral and discipline whenever something new is created. Money and politics have always been used carry out a certain agenda, because of the powerful corporations that benefit from In Vitro Fertilization other forms of medical discoveries. We as a nation need to be prepared for this technology as it will affect us all someway in the future.
African American women will continue to face an uphill battle living in the U.S. Racism although it may be subtle have always been ingrained in the American culture. Health is wealth and with all fairness we need to invest more in research and development (R&D) to improve women health. The list of negative of affects that black women suffer from after or during IVF is lengthy but, to name a few it will include hypertension, obesity, and psychological stress. For each category African American women lead with the highest percentages compared to white women and other ethnicities. Agreed, all women can suffer from these effects, but the sole purpose of this article to help shine the medical light on helping black women further their gene pool.
Citation Page
Ariana Eunjung Cha (2018). How religion is coming to terms with modern fertility methods. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/national/how-religion-is-coming-to-terms-with-modern-fertility-methods/?utm_term=.385a4e420b1c
HN & NH (2016). Religious aspects of assisted reproduction. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5096425/
Matthew C. Nisbet (2018) The Gene Editing Conversation. Retrieved from https://www.americanscientist.org/article/the-gene-editing-conversation
G.N. Allahbadia (2013). IVF in Developing Economies and Low Resource Countries: An Overview. Retrieved form https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3798433/