New Documentary Debuts June 17!

by The Center for Bioethics and Culture on June 16, 2021

Thursday, June 17, 2021 New documentary “Trans Mission” explores how kids and parents are caught in the mawof child gender medicine programs The Center for Bioethics and Culture has produced a powerful documentary film, “Trans Mission: What’s the Rush to Reassign Gender?,” taking a deep dive into the gender identity industry, exploring the issues around […]

Surrogacy Can Be An Orphan Maker

by Jennifer Lahl, CBC President on June 8, 2021

I was away over the Memorial Day weekend, when I saw a GoFundMe notice posted on Instagram that tipped me off that another gestational surrogate mother had died in the United States. The GoFundMe was set up by Ashlee Hammonds, the head of Family Makers Surrogacy, an agency in Atlanta, Georgia. Ms. Hammonds is trying to raise money for the […]

Why is the CBC Taking on Transgenderism?

Recently I had a private exchange with a few people online who wondered why I was taking a critical stance against the transgender issue. They support our work as it relates to #BigFertility in the areas of surrogacy and women’s rights, maternal bonding, etc, but they struggled to see how transgender advocacy has anything to do with […]

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Postpartum Support for Surrogate Mothers?

I recently read an article in Newsweek addressing the lack of postpartum medical support for women following the birth of their child(ren). This is in stark contrast, as the article points out, to the planned and orchestrated “system of well-child care” that a baby receives in the days, months, and years after his or her […]

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Here’s What I Learned During My Four Surrogate Pregnancies

Welcome back to Venus Rising, now available on Spotify, iTunes, and Podomatic. Today I have the pleasure of sitting down with four-time surrogate mother, Alyssia Wood.  Having wonderful pregnancy experiences with each of her four children, Alyssia felt that surrogacy was an obvious way for her to help others start or build their own families. She is […]

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NOW Says a Man Can Be a Woman

On May 12, 2021 the National Organization for Women (NOW) tweeted this: Trans women are women. They deserve equal opportunity, health care, a safe community & workplace, and they deserve to play sports. They have a right to have their identity respected without conforming to perceived sex and gender identity standards. We stand with you. […]

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Pushing the Limits on Embryo Research

It’s no surprise to many of us that the “14-day rule,” which limits research on human embryos to their first two weeks of development, is being challenged. For those of us who were around during the Bush presidency and the time of the great stem cell debates, we always knew the 14-day rule would erode. A […]

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Insights From a Nurse in an IVF Clinic

Welcome back to Venus Rising. If you are an aspiring labor and delivery nurse or nurse midwife or have ever wanted to chat with a nurse that works at an IVF clinic then today’s show is just for you. I am especially excited about this episode because I get to sit down with nursing colleague, Kelly […]

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May News From the CBC

The 2021 Paul Ramsey Institute Award Dinner honoring Helen Alvaré was an enormous success! It was so wonderful to see so many people, gathered safely, celebrating the work of Professor Alvaré and the Center for Bioethics and Culture. The night was one that we will surely remember for years to come. We want to thank […]

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

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 […]

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Book Review: Klara and the Sun

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.  […]

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Concerning New Report on Surrogacy

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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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