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Biggest Winners and Losers of 2020

It is that time of year again, when I look back over the past 12 months with an eye toward identifying those whose lives and contributions actively promoted and affirmed our shared human future (winners), and those who did not (losers). You can review last year’s picks here. Winners: 2020 has been deemed the “year of […]

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My Daughter Has 100 Siblings

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We’re kicking off the new year with an exciting new episode of Venus Rising! Join us as we sit down with Gail Pascoe, an Australian woman who has spent the last six years researching the cash-driven sperm donation industry and the many ways it is failing donor-conceived children.  Gail’s interest in the subject began when […]

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Last Chance to Give in 2020!

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The fight for ethics in bioethics is ongoing and ever changing. With every technological development, every medical breakthrough, every piece of bioethics legislation, come questions of not only what can be done but what should be done. Our goal is to seek out and share information about the issues that most profoundly affect our humanity, especially issues that arise in the lives […]

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Merry Christmas from the CBC!

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During this time of giving, we reflect with gratitude on all we receive—support and goodwill from both old and new friends, countless opportunities to make a significant impact on the world in the areas of our passion, and the knowledge of a growing community of caring people. It’s that time of year when we ask […]

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Preserving Humanity in the Biotech Century

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Dear friends, As I reflect on the work of the Center for Bioethics and Culture (CBC) over these last 20 years, I am amazed at all that we have been able to accomplish because of your commitment to our shared human future. CBC entered what has been called “the biotech century” in 2000. At that […]

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Are Disabled Children Worth Less?

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I read with bone-chilling despair “The Last Child of Down Syndrome” by Sarah Zhang in the December issue of The Atlantic magazine. The title alone conjured images of P.D. James’s novel, “The Children of Men,” which was made into a film, “Children of Men.” If you are unfamiliar with this story, I highly recommend it. […]

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Confessions of a Serial Egg Donor

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On today’s episode of Venus Rising, Jennifer sits down with Julia Derek, author of “Confessions of a Serial Egg Donor.” When Julia moved from Sweden to New York City as a young adult, she found herself in need of an income source as she waited for her green card. That’s when she discovered egg donation, […]

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Movie Review: Ghosts of the Republique

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Last month, film director Jonathon Narducci released Ghosts of the Republique, a full length documentary that chronicles a French gay couple’s international surrogacy journey. We first meet bright eyed, soft spoken Nicolas and Aurelian as they prepare for their wedding day, two gentle, charming souls who share genuine affection and desire nothing but to live […]

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Give Thanks With Us!

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We at The Center for Bioethics and Culture have so much cause for gratitude. We are thankful for your faithful commitment to our work. Because of your generosity, we are able to continue spreading our message across the globe, illuminating the stories that fuel our passion. We are humbled by and grateful for your ongoing support […]

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Up Close With Emmy Award Winner Barry Stevens

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This episode is for all of our film buffs out there! Today Jennifer interviews Barry Stevens, a Toronto documentary filmmaker and screenwriter. Barry won a drama Gemini award for The Diary of Evelyn Lau starring Sandra Oh in her first role, then switched to non-fiction, as a writer on the International Emmy-winning documentary, Gerrie and Louise.  One of our […]

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Human Experimentation Without Consent Is Basis of a Growth Industry

That we would allow humans to be experimented on without their knowledge or consent sounds like something out of the past. But in the world of assisted reproduction, more commonly called in vitro fertilization (IVF), it happens by the tens of thousands each day, all around the world, to human embryos. Allow me to explain. IVF is […]

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My Journey With Infertility

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Today Jennifer brings her dear friend, Karen Hoffman, on Venus Rising to talk about her very personal journey with infertility. Karen has an international background, having lived and worked on three continents. She was born and raised in South Africa, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree University of Pretoria. Subsequently, Karen moved to London, where […]

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With Surrogate Mothers, US Citizenship Is for Sale

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The international surrogacy market is fraught with problems, but one major problem that goes largely unnoticed is that U.S. citizenship is being bought and sold to international couples who hire U.S. surrogate mothers to carry their children to birth. Here is a short primer on how one becomes a U.S. citizen. First, most Americans have birthright citizenship, meaning anyone […]

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“Stop Telling Couples All Roads Lead to IVF”

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Are you struggling with infertility or gynecological issues such as PCOS or endometriosis? Do you feel like typical infertility treatments are failing women and couples? Are you interested in freezing your eggs? Are you in the medical field or just interested in women’s reproductive health? If so, today’s episode is especially for you! Today we […]

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Man’s Final Conquest

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I recently read, “The Future of Everything: The Cutting Edge of Health,” in The Wall Street Journal. I was a pediatric critical care nurse for many years, working in high-tech health care, where we were always pushing the technology envelope while trying to stay on the right side of the razor-thin line of ethics. Could […]

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Venus Rising Calls the Midwife

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2020 has been deemed the “year of the nurse and the midwife.” For this reason, we couldn’t let 2020 come to an end without interviewing midwife and family nurse practitioner, MaryLou Singleton.  MaryLou has practiced as a midwife for over 20 years, attending over 1000 planned homebirths in the Albuquerque area. She now runs an independent clinic, Enchanted Family […]

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Are the Kids Alright?

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For the little girl who seemed to have everything, little Monroe Christine Lewis is now front and center of a nasty separation and custody battle, and her father, Jeff Lewis, is reporting that she needs counseling. Monroe was born on Oct. 25, 2016, and is nearly 4 years old. She was the product of a four-party commercial contract […]

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What It’s Like to be a Surrogate

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Welcome back to Season 2 of Venus Rising! This season is full of special guests and personal stories you won’t want to miss, so subscribe today! Today, Jennifer talks with Alicia Gruber. Alicia, a mom of two and military wife, has experience as a surrogate mother and also runs multiple surrogacy support groups. As you know, Venus […]

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