The Messy, Complicated Nature of Assisted Reproductive Technology
By J. Wesley Judd,
Pacific Standard
| 09. 28. 2015
[cites CGS's Marcy Darnovsky]
Consensus is not a word used when talking about assisted reproductive technology, or ART, for short. In the past, we've reported on the controversial issues of designer babies and embryo adoption, but, recently, the Los Angeles Times detailed the particularly complex case of Dr. Mimi C. Lee and Stephen E. Findley, a divorced couple who are now battling over the future of their frozen embryo. It's a case that has the potential to set a legal precedent in California for disputes of this type.
"If Lee prevails, Findley could be forced to become a parent against his will. If Findley wins, it is extremely unlikely that Lee, now 46, will ever have a genetically related child," Times reporter Maura Dolan writes. Lee was diagnosed with cancer years ago, preventing her from being able to have a baby without the embryo.
While their particular case is newsworthy, ART is far from unique. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2012, 65,000 babies were born via assisted reproductive technology—that’s 1.5 percent of all American infants.
But questions concerning the morality and legality of...
Related Articles
A Review of Exposed by Becky McClain
“Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.”
— John Lewis
Becky McClain became famous when she successfully sued Pfizer, one of the very largest pharmaceutical and biotech companies. She...
By Katherine Long, Ben Foldy, and Lingling Wei, The Wall Street Journal | 12.13.2025
Inside a closed Los Angeles courtroom, something wasn’t right.
Clerks working for family court Judge Amy Pellman were reviewing routine surrogacy petitions when they spotted an unusual pattern: the same name, again and again.
A Chinese billionaire was seeking parental...
By Sarah Kliff, The New York Times | 12.10.2025
Micah Nerio had known since his early 30s that he wanted to be a father, even if he did not have a partner. He spent a decade saving up to pursue surrogacy, an expensive process where he would create embryos...
By Carter Sherman, The Guardian | 12.08.2025
A huge defense policy bill, revealed by US lawmakers on Sunday, does not include a provision that would have provided broad healthcare coverage for in vitro fertilization (IVF) for active-duty members of the military, despite Donald Trump’s pledge...
