Embryo Lost
In Great Britain a battle was wage on the front of the rights of a woman to use her eggs that were fertilised by her ex-boyfriend versus his rights to not sire a child by her. The outcome was grim. The courts, after many years ruled in favour of her ex-boyfriend, and that the frozen embryos couldn’t be used.
The woman, Natalie Evans, who had been left infertile because of ovarian cancer was denied the right to use one of her six frozen embryos to have a child. She began the battle in 2001, and now at the age of 35 has lost. The courts ruled that the consent of both partners is required.
Hold on, let’s think about this for a moment…
If consent by both partners is required, then what about women involved in sexual relations that end badly and she is pregnant and wants to keep the kid but the man wants her to get rid of it, does this mean she is now forced to abort it simply because he says so?
All pro-life people will say that no, she can’t abort it because it’s a human life, even in the zygote stage. which is the stage that precedes embryonic, which is followed by foetal. Even pro-choice people are on the woman’s side, and not to protect the foetus but to protect her right, her right to choose.
So, she would be allowed to keep the child simply because it’s already inside of her.
What makes this different than with Ms Evans? Other than the fact that the embryos were frozen to be used later, nothing. Yes, the tissue wasn’t implanted in her uterus, but the embryo contains her genetic material.
Now, let’s pretend for a minute that the man’s opinion actually matters when it comes to the unborn foetus that the woman carries in her womb. And that this particular man wanted her to abort the foetus and the law requires, as does current British law regarding fertility treatment, that both parties agree to the conception and birth of this being. This would mean that her rights are being violated, thus sparking controversy amongst the pro-choice lobby because woman should be the one to make the choice. It would also cause a uproar in the pro-life front because the man would be forcing the woman to end a life that deserves a chance.
As politicians are weak before their constituents, they will rule in favour of the woman and the unborn foetus, making it so the man has no say despite that it is his genetic material that helped make the child.
In this, a double standard has been created.
Let’s also examine the concept of sperm donors. They do do anonymously and have no control over which women have access to their genetic material. They have zero say and they cna’t determine who should and shouldn’t receive the sperm. The clinic gives it on a first come, first serve basis.
“The key thing for me was just to be able to decide when and if I start a family,” Johnston told reporters after last year’s lower chamber ruling by the European Court of Human Rights.
Ok, so he wants to be able to decide? What about the men who sleep with a woman, break up with her then find out she’s carrying their child? Should they have the same ‘luxury’? By that logic, they should, but they don’t.
What Johnston seems to be forgetting is that unlike men, women are born with a pre-determined number of eggs in their ovaries, which are released from the commencement of puberty and the last one triggers menopause. They can’t just start a family when they want; they are limited to their fertile years and older women are more prone to give birth to a child with defects if she’s older. Yes, there are repoted cases of woman giving birth in later years, but those aren’t the norm.
By ruling in favour of such narrow thinking, the courts have opened a can of worms. By allowing Johnston have his victory, there will be repercussions because other men who have ‘knocked up’ other women will start demanding the same thing; to be able to decide if they want her to give birth. Even if the lobbies push against this for their own reasons, they case could be pushed forward because there is precedent.
All a case needs is precedent to garner a similar ruling.
British woman loses battle for embryos
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