She Just Gave Birth to Nine Babies. How Did This Happen?

by Kallie Fell, Executive Director on May 11, 2021

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Do you remember Octomom, Nadya Suleman? I do. In fact, one of my college friends dressed up as Octomom for a Halloween party when I was in college. Both studying reproductive physiology, we thought the outfit and the eight corresponding babies she stuck to her costume were hilarious. Clearly my prefrontal cortex hadn’t developed fully […]

Book Review: Klara and the Sun

by Jennifer Lahl, CBC President on May 11, 2021

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If you are looking for a summer read, and are a fan of Kazuo Ishiguro, I heartily recommend his latest novel, Klara and the Sun. Full disclosure, I am a fan of his storytelling style, and his books often fit in nicely with the work of the CBC as we work toward our human future.  […]

Concerning New Report on Surrogacy

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We wanted to call your attention to this report that is available in several languages. We find the report deeply troubling and regret that it appears they did not consult with groups who work toward the abolition of surrogacy for a more comprehensive understanding of the true harms of the issue. For example, the report states, “Rather than bans, there […]

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My Kids Were Conceived Via IVF; Here’s Why I Wouldn’t Recommend it To Others

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Hello and welcome back to Venus Rising. With me today is Dr. Susan Caldwell, a primary care physician specializing in women’s health practicing in New Orleans, Louisiana. Today we tackle an emotionally sensitive topic, especially as we approach Mother’s Day- infertility and IVF.  Dr. Caldwell has three children of her own, all of whom were conceived through […]

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Reviewing Future People: The Family of Donor 5114

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Objectivity in filmmaking when it comes to the topic of third-party reproduction is increasingly difficult to find. More often than not, films that navigate subjects like surrogacy and egg donation tend to romanticize these issues, framing them as amazing, beautiful experiences, while minimizing the important truths about their myriad risks and harms. It’s not objective […]

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Important CBC News

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Dear friends, Spring has sprung and just as new life is growing up around us in nature, new things are happening at the Center for Bioethics and Culture! Most recently, Jennifer and Kallie worked fast and furious to try to assist those in Wyoming in opposing House Bill 73, “Birth Certificates – Gestational Agreements.” This […]

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The Problem of Glaring Inconsistencies

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The 1999 satirical film Office Space chronicles the downfall of a comedically dysfunctional software company called Initech. The company hires two independent consultants to analyze the company’s inner workings and ultimately help them downsize by terminating the employment of non-essential workers. Throughout the film, we see the “experts” hyper scrutinize all the wrong “problems,” applaud […]

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I Sold My Eggs and Paid With My Health

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Welcome back to Venus Rising! One of the main commodities in the ever-growing infertility industry is human eggs. Young women all over the world are targeted by ads to “donate” their eggs. Who are these women and what are the risks to their health?  In this episode I have the opportunity to talk with Kylee […]

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Fertility Drugs and Cancer (Part 3)

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Recently, on our podcast Venus Rising, I had the opportunity to interview Maggie Eastman and her family about her experience with egg donation and the nightmare that occurred afterwards. Maggie was a young, bright-eyed college student when she was first recruited as an egg donor. What started as a desire to help families while earning […]

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Why We Should Say No to Surrogacy

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Perhaps you have seen one of the surrogacy puff-pieces already: a woman agrees to “give the gift of life to others” who are unable (or unwilling) to bear their own child, by carrying a child formed from a (sometimes very expensive) “donated” egg that has been fertilised in vitro by the sperm of one of the intended […]

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I Sold My Eggs to Save My Mom from Eviction

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In the early 2000s, Liz Scheier’s mom was facing eviction, so Liz, like many young women, turned to egg donation to raise funds to escape financial crisis. Over the next several years, Liz underwent a total of three rounds of egg retrieval.  In the years since, Liz has spent a significant amount of time analyzing […]

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Transjacking Biology

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On March 26, Scientific American published an article by Dr. Jack Turban, entitled “Trans Girls Belong on Girls’ Sports Teams.” The column ironically appeared in the “policy and ethics” section of the magazine and argued that moral people should strongly oppose the exclusion of trans identified males from female athletic competitions, claiming, without evidence, that […]

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Super Straight: The Latest Sexual Identity

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You’ve probably heard of Curtis Mayfield’s Super Fly soundtrack for the film of the same name, Rick James’s Super Freak, and the Super-Size Me film from 2004. Now, added to the transgender word salad fight is the newest sexual identity, Super Straight. Kyle Royce, a TikTok social media personality and influencer, started a stir when he introduced the term super straight. Royce […]

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An Update from the President

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Dear friends, I am always excited when Paul Ramsey Institute alumni email us with achievements and successes. Most recently, Todd Daly authored a new book titled Chasing Methuselah: Theology, the Body, and Slowing Human Aging. Accomplishments like this remind me that we really are changing the world. This extends to every single one of you who partner […]

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With Artificial Wombs, Who Needs Women?

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We buy genetic material from young men and women. We allow other women to carry our genetic children. We’ve eliminated the need for sex to create a child. Are we eliminating the need for a uterus, too? Are we trying to eradicate the need for women?  According to a new publication in Nature, scientists in […]

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Championing the Donor-Conceived Community

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Wendy Kramer is Co-Founder and Director of the Donor Sibling Registry (DSR). The DSR was founded in 2000 by Wendy and her donor-conceived son Ryan to assist individuals conceived as a result of sperm, egg, or embryo donation who are seeking to make mutually desired contact with others with whom they share genetic ties. With 72,000 members […]

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The Facebook Sperm Donors

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In the midst of a global pandemic when people around the world are facing isolation, it’s no surprise to see the masses turning to social media to meet a lot of their needs. A typical social media user can find everything from witty memes to political discussions with just the click of a button on […]

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Fertility Drugs and Cancer (Part 2)

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Welcome to part two of my investigation concerning fertility drugs and cancer risk. In this article, I am going to examine a publication from 2017 titled “Use of fertility medications and cancer risk: A review and update”.  This publication, unlike the first, was a review of recent literature or research already in existence. It didn’t […]

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