Natal Spectrum

1. Natural Reproduction
2. In Vitro Fertilization: Fertilization of sperm and egg in a Petri dish.  Viable embryos are chosen and inserted into the female reproductive tract via a syringe in a doctor’s office.
3. Carrier testing: Genetic tests of parents that show the risk of passing on a genetic disorder
4. Prenatal testing: genetic screening of fetus for genes that cause disorders
5. Fertility drugs: Prescription drugs which increase a woman’s chance of becoming pregnant
6. Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis for Diseases: Fertilization of sperm and egg in a Petri dish. Embryos are screened for a certain genetic disorder.  Those without the defective gene are inserted into the female reproductive tract via a syringe in a doctor’s office.
7. Artificial Insemination: Insertion of sperm into female reproductive tract by syringe in a doctor’s office
8. Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis for Non-deleterious Traits: Fertilization of sperm and egg in a Petri dish. Embryos are screened for genes of non-deleterious traits (such as hair color, height, sex).  Those with desired genes are inserted into the female reproductive tract via a syringe in a doctor’s office.
9. Cloning: The creation of an organism that is an exact genetic copy of another.


I ordered the topics this way based on gut feelings, personal/religious beliefs, and what I've absorbed throughout my life. I think that natural reproduction is the most pure, non-controversial, and socially accepted way of having a child. In vitro fertilization is so common, and I don't see anything wrong with it. Sometimes people can't reproduce, and they turn to fertility treatments. 3-5 are in their spots because I don't really feel anything about them specifically, and I don't honestly see anything wrong. I put 6 where it is because I see how it's controversial but I can't seem to form an opinion on it, and I see both sides of the argument. I put 7 in its spot because of religious views, and I won't go deeply into that here if that's all right. Numbers eight and nine... I could talk for pages upon pages about how really wrong I think these topics are. Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis for Non-deleterious Traits just bothers me, and I feel in my gut how wrong it is. Cloning is wrong as well, because there is so little we truly know about it.

Cloning is a horrible thing in my opinion, and in many others' as well. Cloning is a realitively new process, and therefore scientists are still unsure about a lot of it. I'm not completely sure why I'm so against it, but I know for sure that it turns my stomach. Most of it's based on religion for me.. I've been taught all my life that children should be brought into this world by a man and a woman, and that the two people should be married. (I would never try and force this onto other people, they can do what they want with their lives, but when I have a say, I'll give my opinion just like that. I want you to know that I don't hate or dislike people that go against this belief of mine.) But, if a person is the result of cloning, that would go against what I just stated. That's basically it, that one point is the main thing that makes me feel the way I feel.