Topic > Ethical Guidelines in Embryonic Stem Cell Research

In the case of embryonic stem cell research, some people believe that the embryo has the same moral and rebellious status as an adult/liveborn child and therefore the rights and interests of the embryo. Embryonic stem cell research has a high probability of destroying embryos. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay During frozen stem cell research there can be issues with informed consent as consent from the women/couples donating the frozen embryo is required. The consent of the gamete donor is also necessary, as he is sometimes unwilling to reveal his identity due to moral/religious beliefs. Confidentiality of donor information/details must be maintained. Compared to other tissues (e.g., nasal swap, hair sample, fingerprints, etc.) people also attach special emotional and moral significance to their reproductive material that makes it more difficult to obtain an individual's informed consent. One possibility is to use deidentified biological reproductive material for the purposes of stem cell research, but the problem is that the donor may feel wrong if he does not consent. Therefore deidentification cannot solve the problems related to informed consent. Donor confidentiality is a major concern as any breach of information can lead to unwanted publicity and harassment from opponents of stem cell research. It should only be necessary to know access to this data for only a few individuals. The ethical issues related to donating fresh eggs for research can be easily understood from the Hwang scandal in South Korea where egg donors were paid inappropriately, serious errors in the informed consent procedure process and the undue pressure on junior scientists/staff to donate research eggs. All of this has caused unacceptable medical complications for donors. There are many medical risks related to fresh egg retrieval which include, but are not limited to, ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, bleeding, infection, and anesthesia complications. The risk of egg retrieval should be minimized and if such a complication occurs, the woman should be given adequate treatment to compensate for the distress caused to her. To prevent such complications there should be strict ethical guidelines for stem cell research. In some cases, women undergoing reproductive infertility treatments donate eggs for stem cell research. This can compromise their reproductive success and therefore it is up to the doctor to leave the most reproductive oocyte for breeding purposes. It is necessary that the doctor has sufficient skills to do the above and this should be kept under close supervision. Egg donations that are not fertile enough for gamete fusion can be very sensitive information and can cause judgmental reactions towards women. Therefore, donor confidentiality should be one of the strict guidelines for stem cell research. The same goes for embryo donors, also because the failure of embryo implantation can create misconceptions at a social level in women. Please note: this is just a sample. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a custom essay. Proper payment to the egg donor is very important as anything less than what is required is not.