Restrictions on Medical Technology
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In his essay, "The Ethical Challenge of the New Reproductive Technology" (Callahan 509-517), Callahan argues that their ought to be a restriction on the types of medical technology used to aid couples with fertility problems in conceiving a child. He believes that this technology has forged ahead with no thought to the ethical problems it engenders, and no consideration given to the welfare of the child conceived by artificial means. Callahan begins by dividing the approaches to alternative reproductive technology into two basic types. The first type he considers is what he calls the conservative approach, which is tied to what Callahan considers the marital sex act (609). This premise, the one followed by some religious philosophies, is that the marital sexual and reproductive act should not be interfered with under any circumstances, or for any reason. That is to say, sexual intercourse in marriage is considered one and the same as the act of reproduction, and should always be regarded as such. It is a natural act, and should be allowed to proceed naturally, between one man and one woman, so that the ôlovemakingö and ôbabymakingö are never separated. No technological intervention, such as artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization, or the involvement of a third party, is ever to be allowed, and contraception is forbidden. Callahan firmly believes that the only ethical stance to take on the matter is to immediately stop any type of reproductive technology now b
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e should not plan for them to occur, any more than we should plan for rape to happen just because some children are born as a result of rape (510).
Callahan is not altogether against reproductive technology, and agrees that it is ethical to use it if ôit makes it possible for a normal, socially well-adjusted heterosexual married couple to have a child that they could not otherwise have owing to infertilityö (511). He believes that the norm for society is that the genetic parents also be the gestational parents and the rearing parents of any child. He also states that they should both be, ôalive and well, at an appropriate time in their lifecycle, and possess average or adequate psychological and social resources for childrearing.ö This would not allow for surrogate births, sperm or egg donors, or pregnancy by single women. This really puts a great restriction on who can have children and when, and would exclude many couples from having children because of their age or socioeconomic status. This would certainly go against the democratic principles on which this country was founded. Callahan goes to the extreme in saying that using technological reproduction to help the ômentally ill, the genetically diseased, the destitut
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Approximate Word count = 1401
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)
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