#eugenics for World #Hemophilia Day 4.17:
summary:
. hemophiliacs have an inherited medical condition
that can involve untreatable complications;
we should offer free embryo selection
so that hemophiliacs can have children
who are sure to avoid this disease.
. some in the pro-life movement
will tell you that embryos are people too;
but I'm here to remind you that how I feel matters,
and many hemophiliac treatments feel aweful forever.
. an alternative that is both pro-life and pro-feeling
is to force hemophiliacs to abstain from reproduction;
which is virtually forced sterilization;
whereas selecting embryos is harmless killing
of people who don't even know they are alive:
to every embryo we discarded, I say:
. your life was sacrificed in order that
the remaining you did feel well.
cdc.gov`World Hemophilia Day April 17th:
. The best way to treat hemophilia is to
replace the missing blood clotting factor
so that the blood can clot properly.
. Up to 1 in 5 people with hemophilia
develop an antibody (inhibitor) to the clotting factor
used to treat bleeding episodes.
An inhibitor makes treatment for bleeding episodes
much more difficult and expensive.
. It is possible to develop long-term joint problems
caused by the bleeding.
. Other challenges of living with an inhibitor
that we've faced include management of
short- and long-term pain from repeat joint bleeds,
dependence on and side effects from pain medications,
inability to participate fully in sports and activities
due to physical limitations, many school absences,
and concerns over the costs of medications.
"He bleeds frequently. He now is confined to a wheelchair
due to the joint damage from repeated bleeding in his knees.
He has had several major surgeries to stop bleeding in his joints
and to try to relieve his pain." – Matthew's Story
knowgenetics.org`Is Eugenics Happening Today?:
. Using modern genetic technology,
prospective parents can be prescreened
to determine their carrier status for certain diseases.
Preimplantation genetic diagnosis
following in vitro fertilization
allows parents to select embryos
that are free of disease.
. The most significant difference between
modern genetic technologies,
that some view as eugenic,
and the historical use of eugenics
is consent. Today, individuals
pursue genetic testing by choice.
An individual can never be forced into testing
or be required to take action, such as sterilization,
based on the results of a genetic test.
usa's history of forced sterilizations:
In 1883, Sir Francis Galton,
a respected British scholar and cousin of Charles Darwin,
first used the term eugenics
for selectively breeding individuals
who have “desired” traits.
. During the 20th century in usa,
a total of 33 states had sterilization programs in place.
. sterilization efforts targeted those with
mentally illness, alcoholism, criminality, chronic poverty,
blindness, deafness, feeble-mindedness, and promiscuity.
It was also not uncommon for African American women
to be sterilized during other medical procedures
without consent.
It is thought that around 65,000 Americans
were sterilized during this time period.
When the horrors of Nazi Germany became apparent,
as well as Hitler’s use of eugenic principles
to justify the mass murderings,
eugenics lost all credibility as a field of study
or even an ideal that should be pursued.
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