Reading report

Name: Cristina Soledad Guzmán
Date: August 13
Title: A right to know - biological origins of IVF children to be stated on birth certificates
Source: www.guardian.co.uk Date of publication: Wednesday August 1, 2007

Vocabulary

Sweeping: 1. Having wide-ranging influence or effect. 2. Curving; contoured. n. 3. sweepings Things swept up; refuse.
Bolster: 1. A long narrow pillow or cushion. v. 2. To support with or as if with a bolster. 3. To buoy up; reinforce:
Raft: 1. A great number or amount.
Overtake: 1. To catch up with.
Draft: 13. Suited for drawing heavy loads. 14. Drawn from a cask or tap.
Surplus: 1. Being in excess of what is needed. See synonyms at superfluous. n. 2. A surplus amount or quantity.
Saviour: 1. A person who rescues another from harm, danger, or loss.
Tissue: 5. Biology. a. A group of cells that are similar in form or function. b. Cellular matter in general.
Unenforceable:enforce: 1. To compel observance of or obedience to. -- en·force“a·bil”i·ty n. -- en·force“a·ble adj.
Deceive: 1. To cause to believe what is not true; mislead.
Chimera: 2. chimera An impossible or foolish fantasy.
Unwieldy: 1. Difficult to carry or manage because of bulk or shape.
drag on: 1. To pull along with effort, especially by force; haul. See synonyms at pull. 2. To pull along the ground. 3. To search or sweep the bottom of (a body of water), as with a grappling hook. 4. To prolong tediously. 5. To proceed slowly or laboriously.
supersede: 1. To take the place of; succeed. 2. To displace; supplant.
over-arching: very important, because it includes or influences many things.
Merge: 1. To blend together or cause to be absorbed, especially in gradual stages.
Thaw: 1. To change from a frozen solid to a liquid by gradual warming. 2. To lose stiffness or numbness by being warmed. 3. To become warm enough for snow and ice to melt. 4. To become less reserved.
Ban: 3. A prohibition imposed by law or official decree.


Main ideas
Children born from donated sperm or eggs will have the information marked on their birth certificates.
The government will consider this planned reforms of legislation overtaken by science.
There is a parliamentary demand for the government to tear up its draft fertility bill, in favour of a more permissive approach in ethically contentious areas.
Under existing law, parents are not required to inform children if they are born from donated eggs and sperm.
Informing children about their biological origins would allow them to find the identity of their genetic parent.
The government was urged to extend the legal limit for storing IVF embryos from 5 to 10 years.
Frozen embryos into research was likely to be welcomed by couples who have surplus embryos, but are not comfortable with donating them to an infertile woman.
Further proposals seek to relax laws on the creation of “saviour siblings” where children are conceived to save the life of a sick brother or sister.
The report also recommended to grant research licences to scientists to fuse human and animal tissues to create hybrid or chimera embryos.
Trying to define what is scientifically allowable based on primary legislation doesn´t make any sense.
The report also recommended the government abandons its long-held plans to merge the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) and the Human Tissue Authority.
IVF landmarks

Personal reaction

I think that the fact of letting an adoptive child as well as those children born from donated sperm or eggs know their biological origins is up to the decision of their adoptive parents. But I personally agree with this British law that will ensure the right that all children have to know their origins through the inclusion of the information about their genetic parents in their birth certificates.
On the other hand, in what respects to that contentious areas such as the creation of “saviour siblings” or the use of frozen embryos to research is a quite serious and complicated matter to be treated because of the moral taboo that these themes represent in our society. That is why these issues must be carefully discussed and studied before coming to a decision.