The bioethics of the royal wedding
Hi
there,
Journalism
is about news and editors are always desperate to spice up mundane stories with
links to breaking news. So I cudgelled my brains on this morning’s flight from
Hobart to Sydney for a bioethics connection to Will and Kate’s Big Day. Newspapers
around the world are overflowing with the Royal Wedding and the Royal Smooch.
I’m
afraid that I couldn’t find anything current. However, perhaps the fact that 3
billion people watched an English couple exchanging vows is a reminder of the intense
seriousness of the passions and relationships which fuel the growth of assisted
reproductive technology. The young couple’s life in a gilded cage is really a
royal nursery to produce another heir to the throne. Would it be appropriate
for them to resort to IVF or surrogate motherhood if there are difficulties?
Would
the history of England and the world have been different if Henry and Catherine
of Aragon had been able to use IVF? Would they have taken advantage of it?
My
intuitive feeling is no. What do you think?
After
the Easter break, our newsletter is longer than usual. I hope that you enjoy
it.
Cheers,
Michael
Cook
- How long can you put off seeing the doctor because of lockdowns? - December 3, 2021
- House of Lords debates assisted suicide—again - October 28, 2021
- Spanish government tries to restrict conscientious objection - October 28, 2021
More Stories
Judicial ping-pong leaves Portugal without a right-to-die law
For the second time Portugal’s Constitutional Court has rejected a right-to-die law because its wording is “intolerably vague”. The bill...
Baby steps for ‘death tourism’ in Oregon
A “death tourism” industry is taking off in Oregon, claims the Daily Mail. It says that Dr Nicholas Gideonse, the...
A divorce for the end-of-life dream team
Compassion & Choices and the Alzheimer’s Association have parted ways after a partnership which lasted only a few weeks. On...
‘Your ChatGPT advance directive is ready for signing …’
I couldn’t help thinking of the trash talk at the weigh-in before a professional heavyweight fight when I read the...
Is America’s healthcare system a kleptocapitalist nightmare?
American health care is perishing under the weight of its greed, according to an editorial in JAMA by Donald M....
He did it. Not clear if he’s sorry
The doctor at the heart of a genetic engineering scandal in China has been released from jail and spoke with...