• Question: Do you think it is wrong to kill a living embrio that has the potential to become a life to get the stem cells for someone else to live their life ?

    Asked by billy to Emma, James, Jayne, Kara, Sharon on 17 Mar 2011 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Emma King

      Emma King answered on 17 Mar 2011:

      Hi billy. No I don’t think it’s wrong to use an embryo in research. What many people don’t realise is that the embryos we are allowed to use in research will never grow into a baby because either they are not good enough or the people who donated those embryos do not want another child.
      If we didn’t use them they would be destroyed – so really it’s not a choice between research or a child but a choice between research or the bin.
      I hope that answers your question?

    • Photo: Sharon Sneddon

      Sharon Sneddon answered on 17 Mar 2011:

      Hi Billy
      Good question, I don’t really have a problem with that as it’s highly unlikely that the embryos would ever be able to form a baby.

      When patients come in for IVF treatment, sometimes there are eggs and embryos that can’t be used for their treatment and would be thrown away. If this happens, the patients are asked if they would consent to the eggs and embryos to be used for research.
      All the good quality healthy eggs and embryos get used to make babies, and not all of the good ones even suceed at that as not every embryo will make a baby.

      Sometimes, we do get good quality ones, but that is because the parents have decided that they do not want any more treatment, or perhaps they have had enough children. This is a really big decision for the parents to make, but we never force them or try to persuade them.

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