Texas company sells ready-made embryos

[rainbow4321]

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/010607dnbusembryos.31fbe31.html

A San Antonio company has started producing batches of ready-made embryos that single women and infertile couples can order after reviewing detailed information about the race, education, appearance, personality and other characteristics of the egg and sperm donors.

The Abraham Center of Life LLC, the first commercial dealer making embryos in advance for unspecified recipients, was created to help make it easier and more affordable for clients to have babies that match their preferences, according to its founder


Before contracting for the embryos, clients can evaluate the egg and sperm donors, and can even see pictures of them as babies, children and sometimes adults. A fertility specialist will then transfer the embryos into a client's womb or into a surrogate, which Ms. Ryan can also arrange.

<snip>

People can say, 'Oh, this is the new Hitler.' That's not the case," she said. "I don't take orders. I say 'This is what I have' and send them the background. If they don't think it's right for them, they don't have to take them

[northofdenali]

1. Ooooooooookay.......

:popcorn:

[Occulus]

2. Designer babies.

As in, these are our designs.

I don't know whether to be sick or go into revolted convulsions.

[Kagemusha]

3. Sounds like catalogue babies rather.

Not saying that's much better but, it's not designer babies in the usual sense that term is used...

[Occulus]

11. I was thinking 'designer' as in, a wedding dress

or a fashion designer, but catalogue babies fits better.

Next thing you know, they'll figure out how to digitally 'activate' the DNA and give parents a glimpse of what their child might look like. From there, we'll move on to actually tinkering with the things in the DNA that govern (for example) jaw shape, muscle mass potential, symmetricism of facial features, hair and eye color....

I'd like to think I'm wrong about that, but I don't really believe I am....

[Hekate]

4. Ah yes, the Bible Belt. What about those Snowflake Babies that need wombs?

I dunno. For some reason I find this particular process a little creepy.

Hekate

[no_hypocrisy]

5. And do they cater to gay/lesbian couples? n/t

[mdelaguna2000]

6. makes it more affordable - not so bad

Article says people select sperm/egg donors for desired characteristics anyway, when individually done at fertility clinics. Not much different.

[rucky]

7. Next, they'll have vending machines for 'em. n/t

[pretzel4gore]

8. so if yall get hungry

you can just buy two....

[VegasWolf]

15. Mumm, Deviled eggs! Good protein.

:toast:

[NoodleyAppendage]

9. Eugenics by social/market forces...very creepy.

"If they don't think it's right for them, they don't have to take them."

Our species is RELIANT upon diversity of genetic material. That diversity is a byproduct, in part, upon our general inability to pick one type of offspring over another. Social self-selection, as opposed to natural selection, may threaten that balance in diversity.

[pitohui]

13. what's creepy about it?

i wish my parents had had the chance to make me a healthy baby of normal appearance, my life would have been completely different

parents who love their kids have always wanted to give them the best in life, well, looks, brains, and health seem like pretty nice things to have from where i'm standing

our species is not suffering from a lack of diversity of genetic material, not even close, that's just silly, and don't presume that all of us are so happy to be one of the "diverse" ones, all i wanted as a child was to look like everybody else

[jody]

10. IMO flip side of abortion, i.e. getting rid of unwanted embryos vs. getting wanted embryos. n/t

[proud2BlibKansan]

12. Oh swell

The anti-stem cell crowd is going to have a field day with this one.

[pitohui]

14. the anti-stem cell fascists were never going to like technology anyway

who cares what they say?

[proud2BlibKansan]

17. It matters in red state hell

They are trying to repeal the amendment the voters in MO just approved that allows stem cell research. So we (unfortunately) do need to care what they say.

[pitohui]

18. if we care so much we don't use the technology it don't matter anyway, does it?

i'm not seeing where any good has been achieved by humoring the nuts or giving them a damn inch

i bet they'd have a different view of it if they were the ones born to have skin coming off in sheets for 12 entire years

[Bigmack]

16. Having just lost a grandson at 5 months gestation...

I can tell you there is a market for embryos. Shit, there is a market for anything related to reproduction.

When people want kids, they will do ANYTHING to have kids. They will adopt, but many would rather have all that gooshey stuff that happens during pregnancy and birth.

My comment would be ... Do NOT stand in the way of anybody who wants to have a child... they'll go right over you!

[Infinite Hope]

19. Disturbing...

If they aren't having a biological kid, just adopt one. If they can't love a child unless it's ideal, they aren't suited to be parents.