Willy Chertman reviews The Pursuit of Parenthood, a book about the history of IVF and reproductive technologies. Chertman previously authored a 40,000-word 'fertility whitepaper,' which you can read here. Still, it is worth considering how, just 50 years ago, bioethicists, newspapers, and even scientists like Nobel Prize winner James Watson denounced the use of IVF and the creation of 'test-tube' babies. Appreciating the long journey of assisted reproductive technology may provide clues for handling future developments. In The Pursuit of Parenthood, sisters and co-authors Margaret Marsh and Dr. Wanda Ronner take readers through a deeply researched history of reproductive technology, from WWII-era experiments to cutting-edge developments in uterine transplants.2 Along the way, they argue that political polarization around IVF has prevented federal-level regulation, resulting in a 'Wild West' of reproductive technology ' a state of affairs that has enabled some abuses (and ineffectual...
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