Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue signed the Option of Adoption Act on May 5, making Georgia the first state with an embryo adoption law.
As the new law recognizes the potential of embryos, it is a celebration for pro-life supporters.
Embryo adoptions have existed at least since the 1980s.
When couples undergo in vitro fertilization, multiple embryos are typically created. People who decide not to use all the embryos are given choices:
Keep the embryos frozen until a future time.
Destroy them.
Donate them for medical purposes – such as stem cell research.
Release them for adoption.
In embryo adoptions, embryos are implanted in women so they are allowed to physically give birth to their own adopted child. The problem? This terminology is rather sensitive.
As Reginald Finger explains in Embryo Adoption – A Life-Affirming Parenthood Choice">his article:
"Some medical infertility specialists are uncomfortable saying 'adoption' in this context because children are adopted, and if the embryo comes to be viewed as a child in the eyes of the law, couples might lose the choice of discarding the embryos or donating them to research.
Infertility practices might also come under stricter regulation. Pro-choice activists dislike the term for similar reasons. Legal scholars point out that at least in the U.S., statutes define adoption as the placement of a child after birth. Thus, they reason, use of the term might mislead couples as to what has actually occurred in the eyes of the law when an embryo is transferred."
Or, as University of Pennsylvania bioethics professor Arthur Caplan explains that use of the term adoption itself is "a deliberately political point."
Embryos have yet to be given human status, something that even Snowflakes Frozen Embryo Adoption Program acknowledges.
As one of the oldest and most prominent embryo adoption agencies, Snowflakes through Nightlight Christian Adoptions in California started in 1997 and has overseen 200 plus embryo adoptions. Although embryo transfer to another party is handled as an adoption case through Snowflakes and other agencies, it is only considered property transfer by law.
The Option of Adoption Act changes that, and will most likely affect other state laws as well.
Posted by Tim Morgan on June 1, 2009 5:10PM
Comments
The people who balk over the term "adoption" being used in relation to Embryo Transfer/Donation seem to have no problem with the term "Adopt a Highway" or similar usage. The term "adoption" is simply the most applicable and appropriate word for what the recipient couple is doing in this process. One couple donates, the other adopts.
Call it what you like, the end result is a child, not a chair.
Posted by: Gutierez at June 2, 2009
Adopting a highway is for the purpose of cleaning up the highway not having and raising a child. The highway is still owned by its original owner not the adoptee. When you adopt am embryo, you are adopting a child like adopting a born child according to the law. This means anybody including homosexuals,perverts, sex traders, etc. can adopt outside of the government adoption agencies who do check into backgrounds of adoptees/legally married parents before handing over a baby/child. Doesn't mean the adoptees aren't still rats but hopefully the adoption check turns out okay. An embyo adoption guarantees no such check, it just guarantees that some creep might get that embryo for sex or whatever. When adopting the government adoption agencies should be involved not just a embryo research private money making business that cares less what happens to the embryo or possible future child. Or, are the politicians looking at giving homosexuals a way to get children which would mean the policians know what they are doing.
Posted by: Anna at June 2, 2009
Anna, what do you think an embryo is?
Posted by: Gregory Peterson at June 3, 2009
Agree with Anna, but total control will never be possible.. at least until we find a way to track people in real time..but that is another problem isn9t it?..technology..
Posted by: Vlad at June 3, 2009
www.simplepregancy.com offers an in depth look at the steps necessary in order to take action and either adopt or donate an embryo. I think this new way of helping families grow is awesome.
http://www.simplepregnancy.com/getting-pregnant/embryo-adoptions.html
http://www.simplepregnancy.com/getting-pregnant/embryo-donations.html
Posted by: Amy R. at July 20, 2009
I'm in favor of this embryo adoption law of Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue. As it protects a young life of a human being.
Posted by: Russian Adoptions at October 30, 2009
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