A 2007 survey of more than 1,000 infertility patients found that 60 percent were willing to donate their frozen embryos to stem-cell research. This article in Newsweek. Couples were found to be three times more likely to donate embryos to science than for adoption. While this is inline with the percentage of Americans in favor of stem cell research, it was never before confirmed directly from potential donors.I wonder what percentage of these donors who were willing to donate actually did. The artile interviews co-author of the study Ruth Faden. This data is so significant because it is the closest thing the US has to actual data about how many embryos are donated. Now we know that not only is the American public supportive of stem cell research, but the people who have moral and legal authority over their own embryos are mostly supportive of destroying human life for the possible benefit of man-kind.
68% of Americans now support stem cell research. Clearly the country's current policy ban on funding for embryo research is out of touch with the American people. Bush has led the charge on embryo adoption, which does not seem realistic to me.
1 comment:
Interesting to see these high statistics in support of stem cell research. However, do you know whether the 68% statistic indicated support for "embryonic" stem cell research specifically? As far as I know, there is no opposition to adult stem cell research; not even from the Catholic church, which strongly opposes embryonic stem cell research.
If it is true that 68& of Americans support "embryonic" stem cell research specifically , where is the support coming from? As far as I have seen, the benefits from embryonic stem cell research are only hypothetical. The most promising/actually realized advances are currently coming from adult stem cell research. Admittedly, however, this could be due to lack of funding for embryonic stem cell research.
In any event, new induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) technology could greatly deter public support for embryonic stem cell research if iPS technology proves successful. Aren't people more likely to support a technology where stem cells may be be produced more cheaply and quickly, without involving embryos?
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