Time to put a stop to postmenopausal mothers?

When Liz Buttle (then aged 60) became the UK's oldest mother in 1997, she was subjected to a storm of media criticism. Since then, debate over appropriate age limits for fertility treatment has shown no signs of abatement, while a growing number of postmenopausal women seek treatment in the UK and abroad....[Read More]

Genetic testing of children prior to adoption

Recently, a new angle to the many and varied debates over predictive genetic testing has emerged. A number of clinical geneticists in the UK have been requested to undertake genetic tests on children who are up for adoption. When advised that these tests were not in the interests of the children concerned, several local authorities obtained court orders enforcing the tests....[Read More]

Incarceration and infertility: do prisoners have the right to access IVF?

In October 2008, it was reported that a Spanish woman, Elena Beloki, had been granted permission to receive IVF treatment. Beloki is currently serving a 13-year prison sentence for her involvement with the Basque separatist organisation, Eta. Her fertility treatment will be carried out while on bail, and will...[Read More]

Posthumous retrieval of gametes: a case of deja vu?

To those who followed the story of Diane Blood in the '90s, the plight of the woman referred to as 'L' in recent news articles has a strong sense of deja vu (1). Once again, sperm has been obtained from the body of a man without his prior consent. Once...[Read More]

Artificial gametes: the end of infertility?

An article published recently in the New Scientist alerted readers to ongoing developments in the creation of 'female' sperm and 'male' eggs (1). If - and it is a big if - this technological breakthrough ever comes about, it is suggested that such artificial gametes could offer the possibility of genetic reproduction...[Read More]

The review of the HFE Act: ethical expertise or moral cowardice?

The development of reproductive technologies has continued apace since the birth of Louise Brown, the first IVF baby, in 1978. The regulatory framework is constantly assailed by new possibilities which may not have been envisaged by those who drew up the original legislation in this area. Do the moral arguments...[Read More]

There's no such thing as a free egg

Earlier this year, at the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) conference in Lyons, France, it was reported that Melanie Boivin, a Canadian woman, had decided to have her eggs surgically extracted and preserved for the later use of her daughter, who at this time was seven years...[Read More]

Is there a right not to be a parent?

On 10 April 2007, Natallie Evans lost the final stage of a four year legal battle for the right to implant embryos created with her eggs and the sperm of her former partner. Ms Evans had been diagnosed with cancer, and treatment necessitated the removal of her ovaries, leaving her...[Read More]

The egg and sperm race

Recent media reports describe the case of Alexandra Saunders, a 25 year old woman who has been advertising her eggs for sale on the internet in the hopes of paying off her credit card debts . The tone of these reports has largely been incredulous if not overtly condemnatory. But why...[Read More]

How will artificial sperm success affect further research?

The success achieved by Professor Karim Nayernia et al in obtaining offspring from 'artificial sperm' has been widely reported over the past week. The research may shed light on the complex developmental processes involved in gamete formation. It has also been suggested that in the future, therapeutic cloning in conjunction...[Read More]