Aborted foetuses could provide eggs for IVF
Claims that eggs could be harvested from aborted foetuses to offer more women the chance of pregnancy have been made by scientists today.
The recent discovery that ovarian follicles in third trimester aborted foetuses are relatively well developed has led to scientists wanting to research the development of technologies and methods that could use this.
Stem cell research may have set a precedent for the use of aborted foetuses to help develop and provide treatments to otherwise incurable conditions, and recent polls suggest that the British public are in favour of research in this field.
However, the anomaly of people deriving new pregnancies from abortions may cause public concerns, and is likely to fuel further criticism from religious groups, which have also opposed stem cell research.
Scientists involved in the discovery have argued that any opportunity to offer women the chance to have children should be investigated. Although there are other methods available to provide the biological material needed for IVF, a shortage of women willing to donate eggs may lead to other sources being needed.
Scientists have also claimed that even were this particular discovery to have no ethical use in the future, they feel that developing the techniques required to perform the task would benefit other areas of science, and that it will give greater insight into human biology.
Anti abortion charity ‘Life’ has criticised the moves, arguing that most people would find the idea repulsive and claiming that no person would want to find out their mother was an aborted foetus.
