Introduction
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is a technology whereby a man’s reproductive sperms are added to a female partner’s ovum in a laboratory to develop an embryo. Designer baby clinic is a technology whereby a mother is allowed to decide the custom of her baby. In this case, the type of hair and complexion amongst other things are decided on by the mother.
Cultural relativity and the “Heinz dilemma”
Heinz should have done what he did; in this case, it might have been a criminal offense under the law. However, he could not have been handed the death penalty was he to be tried in a court of law. If the drug could save the life of his wife, then it was ethically sound to steal the drug. In his case, there were two consequences which were both negative; he was to choose one with a lesser impact and that was to risk being arrested and charged in court but save the life of his wife.
There is no element of self-interest for Heinz. He was simply compelled to act the way he did due to the circumstance of his wife’s sickness. The pain and psychological torture of losing his wife pushed him to do anything he could to save her life.
Due to the cost of the drug, the attached article is comparable to the Heinz dilemma since most people cannot afford such expensive drugs. In fact, because of the cost of the drugs outlined in the article, Heinz’s dilemma may just be a single case amongst many. So, it does not alter the earlier response.
Virtue ethics
Even though the act was against the societal norms, it is important to note that sexual urges are always difficult to suppress, especially where both a woman and a man are alone in a secret place. Both Julie and Mark were psychologically oriented for lovemaking and they might not have been able to control themselves. Besides, it seems they were not scared of the societal view on incest and decided to obey their sexual urges rather than the societal norms regarding such an act.
The case of Julie and Mark secretly making love is incensed; but incense has always been considered antisocial, unethical, and immoral in most societies. In light of this, it was not proper for them to make love to each other. They lacked virtue and ethics. Individuals with virtue and guided by ethics should act as required even when they are alone. They are not social elements to be only displayed in public but should also be exercised even in secret places like where Julie and Mark were.
IVF Technology and Designer Baby Clinic
Even though the use of IVF technology is good news for couples who are not able to have children through natural means, taking advantage of it to have more than two is a misuse of technology. Scientists have authoritatively stated that a mother’s milk is the best for the child for the first six months. Given that mothers can only effectively breastfeed two children at a time it is, therefore, sound to have only twins at a time. Having a large number of children for the sake of technology is to abuse the very logic behind it. Also, designing babies falls under this abuse of technology. A designer baby clinic should only be used if it can help avert medical conditions that the newborn may have after birth.
This is the beginning of the slippery slope. This is because many individuals may use the technology to have the number of children they want within a short time; this may have health implications that may prove to be counterproductive to the use of IVF technology. It may also be dangerous to the mother. Besides, a designer baby clinic may be abused when such technology is not regulated.
One of the issues that stand out here is how the children born through the use of IVF technology and baby designer clinics would feel about themselves. They are different from children born through natural means. The other issue is the ethics involved in conducting both the processes. It should be feared that the two processes may be exploited for commercial gains. The members of the public have seriously questioned the moral and ethical implications of the two technologies and hence raising doubts on their sustainability.
Exercising control and regulation of the use of IVF technology and designer baby clinics is very crucial if the societal norms about birth are to be maintained. Society believes in and favors birth through natural means. Therefore, to uphold these norms, it is important to regulate the use of both technologies. The use of a designer baby clinic should be practiced only by few licensed specialists to check on its usage. This will help to avoid having society members who may suffer from stigma and rejection because they were born through unnatural means.
The use of IVF technology should be considered only on medical grounds. It should not be used for the convenience of those who are fertile and suffer no medical conditions. This should also apply to the use of designer baby clinics so that both technologies are only considered on medical grounds.
Conclusion
The use of IVF and a designer baby clinic in having children may have some advantages; however, there are ethical and moral issues associated with them. Society has largely criticized the use of IVF technology and a designer baby clinic in having children. This has impacted the sustainability of the two technologies.