Ethical Issues in New Uses of Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis
By Edgar Dahl,
Human Reproduction
| 06. 01. 2003
Vol.18, No. 7
[Editor's note: In this brief article,
German bioethicist Edgar Dahl raises and dismisses five objections
to the future use of embryo screening to choose the sexual orientation
of children. He does not mention any evidence for, or controversy
about, a "gay gene," but concludes that if a "safe
and reliable genetic test" for sexual orientation were
to become available, "parents should clearly be allowed"
to use it, as long as they are permitted to select for homosexual
as well as heterosexual children. Dahl has previously argued
that PGD should be allowed for sex selection for social reasons.]
Should parents be allowed to use preimplantation
genetic diagnosis to choose the sexual orientation of their
children?
Extending the application of preimplantation genetic
diagnosis (PGD) to screen embryos for non-medical traits such
as gender, height and intelligence, raises serious moral, legal,
and social issues. In this paper I consider the possibility
of using PGD to select the sexual orientation of offspring.
After considering five potential objections, I conclude that
parents should be permitted to use PGD to choose...
Related Articles
By Annika Inampudi, Science | 08.01.2025
In June, Sara* received a message asking whether she wanted to continue to participate in a massive, multicenter research project led by scientists at Aarhus University in Denmark. The iPsych study, the message said, had sequenced her genetic data from...
The Center for Genetics and Society is delighted to recommend the current edition of GMWatch Review – Number 589. UK-based GMWatch, a long-standing ally, was founded in 1998 by Jonathan Matthews as an independent organization seeking to counter the enormous corporate political power and propaganda of the GMO industry and its supporters. Matthews and Claire Robinson are its directors and managing editors.
CGS works to ensure that social justice, equity, human rights, and democratic governance are front...
By Ryan Cross, Endpoints News | 08.19.2025
Human eggs are incredibly rare cells. The ovary typically produces only 400 mature eggs across a woman’s life. But biologists in George Church’s lab at Harvard University — a group that’s never content with nature’s limits — just got a...
By Riley Beggin and Jeff Stein, The Washington Post | 08.03.2025
The White House does not plan to require health insurers to provide coverage for in vitro fertilization services, two people with knowledge of internal discussions said, even though the idea was one of President Donald Trump’s key campaign pledges.
Last...