The Library
Human embryos and eggs : from long-term storage to biobanking
Tools
Baylis, Françoise and Widdows, Heather (2015) Human embryos and eggs : from long-term storage to biobanking. Monash Bioethics Review, 33 (4). pp. 340-359. doi:10.1007/s40592-015-0045-8 ISSN 1321-2753.
Research output not available from this repository.
Request-a-Copy directly from author or use local Library Get it For Me service.
Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s40592-015-0045-8
Abstract
Genetic relatedness poses significant challenges to traditional practices of medical ethics as concerns the biobanking of human biological samples. In this paper, we first outline the ethical challenges to informed consent and confidentiality as these apply to human biobanks, irrespective of the type of tissue being stored. We argue that the shared nature of genetic information has clear implications for informed consent, and the identifying nature of biological samples and information has clear implications for promises of confidentiality. Next, with regard to the special case of biobanking human embryos and eggs, we consider issues arising from: first, the type of tissues being stored; second, the use to which these tissues are put; and third, how this plays out given the shared and identifying nature of these tissues. Specifically, we examine the differences between human bodily tissues and human reproductive tissues focusing on the assumed potential of the reproductive tissues and on the possible greater emotional attachment to these tissues because of their real and imagined kinship. For some donors there may be a sense of family connection with embryos and eggs they once thought of as ‘children-in-waiting’. Finally, we conclude by considering the implications for ethical practice.
Item Type: | Journal Article | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Divisions: | Faculty of Social Sciences > Philosophy | ||||
Journal or Publication Title: | Monash Bioethics Review | ||||
Publisher: | Springer | ||||
ISSN: | 1321-2753 | ||||
Official Date: | December 2015 | ||||
Dates: |
|
||||
Volume: | 33 | ||||
Number: | 4 | ||||
Page Range: | pp. 340-359 | ||||
DOI: | 10.1007/s40592-015-0045-8 | ||||
Status: | Peer Reviewed | ||||
Publication Status: | Published | ||||
Access rights to Published version: | Restricted or Subscription Access | ||||
Related URLs: |
Request changes or add full text files to a record
Repository staff actions (login required)
View Item |