Screening sperm donors for autism? As an autistic person, I know that’s the road to eugenics
By Ari Ne'eman,
The Guardian
| 12. 30. 2015
[cites CGS]
Untitled Document
Britain’s largest sperm bank has a policy of turning away autistic donors and those diagnosed with other neurological disabilities, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder [ADHD], dyslexia and obsessive compulsive disorder.
The London Sperm Bank’s policies are deeply concerning. But to those of us who have been monitoring the ways in which genetic knowledge is being misused across the globe, they are not surprising. In egg donations (as in sperm donations) similar genetic screening of a diagnosis and a family history of autism, dyslexia and obsessive compulsive disorder is not uncommon. There is considerable evidence to support that these are all conditions with strong genetic components.
In the US, where sperm banks are only very lightly regulated, recipients may select for everything from preferred pets and hobbies to astrological sign. In Israel, sperm banks have been fielding a large number of requests for sperm from members of the military, particularly combat soldiers. As early as the 1980s, unsuccessful efforts were made in California to populate a sperm bank entirely with deposits from Nobel prizewinners...
Related Articles
Reproductive rights have been a flashpoint in national politics for decades, with the stakes surging after the Supreme Court shredded the right to an abortion. In the current presidential campaign, the battle over abortion has swelled and morphed to encompass in vitro fertilization (IVF), which has now moved rapidly from widely accepted to partisan hot button.
This dramatic shift was highlighted by the February decision of the Alabama Supreme Court that granted personhood rights to frozen IVF embryos, signaling that...
By Sara Moretto, The Varsity | 09.22.2024
It was 2020. I was wrapping up grade nine science with a solid 60 per cent, hoping that if anyone saw my failed tests in the recycling bin, it would contribute to an air of mystery about me. This reason...
By Gabby Del Valle, The Baffler | 09.17.2024
IT’S A COMMON STORY, banal, even: a child of privilege, an heir apparent, leaves for college to get a good enough education—and maybe have a little fun—before taking over the family business. But the child, away from the nest for...
By Matthew Rozsa, Salon | 09.15.2024
When a person with a uterus decides to freeze their eggs, any number of things can go wrong. Ice crystal can form, killing an otherwise viable ovum. A fertilized egg may fail to properly implant, or the egg may...