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The ethics of using genetic engineering for sex selection
1624 N Broadway, Floor 3, Phoebe R Berman Bioethics Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. sliao@jhsph.edu
Journal of Medical Ethics
|February 1, 2005
Summary
Genetic engineering for embryo sex selection may soon be possible. However, this method is unlikely to appease ethical objections based on the moral status of embryos.
Area of Science:
- Bioethics
- Reproductive Technologies
- Genetic Engineering
Background:
- Emerging genetic technologies offer potential for direct embryo sex selection.
- Current methods like preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) raise ethical concerns regarding embryo creation and destruction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the ethical implications of direct embryo sex selection via genetic engineering.
- To analyze whether this novel approach addresses ethical objections to existing sex selection technologies.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of ethical arguments surrounding embryo status.
- Comparison of ethical frameworks for genetic engineering versus PGD.
Main Results:
- Direct embryo sex selection via genetic engineering may avoid the creation/destruction of "wrong gendered" embryos.
- Ethical objections based on the personhood of the embryo are unlikely to be resolved by this new method.
Conclusions:
- Genetic engineering for sex selection presents new ethical considerations.
- Concerns about embryo personhood remain a significant ethical barrier, irrespective of the specific technology used.