Saletan: Eugenic Euphemisms and ugly truths

"First baby tested for breast cancer form BRCA1 before conception born in UK," says the press release from University College London. "The first baby tested preconceptionally for a genetic form of breast cancer (BRCA1)

"preconceptions"

has been born." The release quotes Paul Serhal, medical director of the hospital's Assisted Conception Unit...

It's happy news. But let's take a closer look at the announcement, starting with the test "before conception." This baby was tested as an embryo in a dish. She was one of 11 such embryos made by injecting drugs in the mother to stimulate production of excess eggs, which were then fertilized with the father's sperm. Six of the embryos had the gene for breast cancer. Three more had "other abnormalities." All nine were "discarded." The other two were implanted, and one became this baby.

In sum, at least six human embryos were made and then thrown away because they failed a test. We now call such tests "preconception." This is the next step in our gradual devaluation of embryos. First, we said IVF embryos weren't pregnancies. That's technically correct: Pregnancy begins when the embryo implants in the womb. Then we called early embryos "pre-embryos" so we could dismantle them to get stem cells. That was technically incorrect, but we did it because it made us feel better. Now we're adjusting the word conception. Henceforth, testing of IVF embryos to decide which will live or die is preconception. Don't fret about the six eggs we fertilized, rejected, and flushed in selecting this baby. They were never really conceived. In fact, they weren't embryos. According to Serhal, each was just "an affected cluster of cells."

A director of a medical facility is calling a human embryo "an affected cluster of cells."  This is outrageous! 

Just as I suspected, it was the doctor that stated that PGD was done "preconception."  No matter that "preconception" testing technically would be on the parents' egg and sperm.  Serhal makes his own definition of conception so desperate English couples can solicit his services guilt-free.

Doctors and scientists are people too.  Some will pull the wool over your eyes to enhance their bottom line.