Italy Bans Donor Sperm and Eggs

BBC News ^ | December 11, 2003 | None Given

[Aliska]

Italy bans donor sperm and eggs

Italy's Senate has overwhelmingly approved a law which bans the use of donor sperm, eggs or surrogate mothers. It also limits the right to artificial fertilisation to "heterosexual couples in stable relationships", excluding gay couples and single women.

The bill, one of the most restrictive in Europe, has drawn support and criticism from across the party lines.

BBC Rome correspondent Frances Kennedy says that the bill has pitted Catholics against liberals and men against women.

The legislation, passed in the Senate by 169 votes to 90 on Thursday, will now be sent back to the lower house of the parliament for minor adjustments.

[Aliska]

Dr. Dean was talking about this today, and he thought it was a bad thing. I thought it was probably a good thing. For discussion.

[cyborg]

This should be law in America. However, it's a cash cow and I don't see it ever being overturned.

[Aliska]

No, I don't think it will fly here which is a shame.

Salvation: Catholics might find this of interest if you want to ping them. It is more general news, but I could have posted it in the religion forum.

[dead]

Well, you can have sperm, sperm, sperm, sausage, sperm, eggs, sperm and toast... that's not got much sperm in it.

I don't like sperm!

[skr]

Would that it were so here.

[Aliska]

It probably didn't go as far as the Catholic church would have liked as I believe they forbid artificial insemination altogether, but the legislation is more humane and responsible than here and elsewhere.

I don't know what it is with us and why we insist on certain rights that aren't good for everyone.

[noodler]

No as a reply it would be more spam sperm etc. etc. and I'm glad Italy has taken some steps... the ban on deceased spouse sperm is not correct in my view.

[Enterprise]

"Italy Bans Donor Sperm and Eggs

What? No more green eggs and sperm?

[Hodar]

Italy's Senate has overwhelmingly approved a law which bans the use of donor sperm, eggs or surrogate mothers.

You are aware that this would mean that infertile couples would be prohibited from having children, aren't you?

[Aliska]

No, the title is a little misleading. Only heterosexual couples in stable relationships will be permitted to use artificial insemination.

[cyborg]

It also limits the right to artificial fertilisation to "heterosexual couples in stable relationships", excluding gay couples and single women.

*** They're covered. I have a personal opinion about IVF clinics in that I do not believe in them, they take a lot of people's money, and they take away the attention from adoption and lessening abortion. Actually, they are involved in a lot of abortions since they freeze embryos and can't use them all.

[John Beresford Tipton]

"why we insist on certain rights that aren't good for everyone."

I think it is related to the concept called "freedom", and the hope that people will use good judgment.

[fiscally_right]

Yeah.. "why we insist on certain rights that aren't good for everyone."

Doubleplus good..

[WackyKat]

What a stupid, irrational ,and backward law

[Aliska]

I don't think it is "backward" to have as normal, traditional family environment for children as possible. Children deserve a male father and female mother in a mature, stable relationship, preferably marriage. I guess that makes me backward.

[WackyKat]

Perhaps you missed that the law also bans donor sperm and eggs? If one of spouses is infertile, this means that they cannot have a child that is biologically connected to at least one of them

Exactly how does that promote family values?

And as to the restriction of fertility treatments to married couples, do you understand that unmarried fertile people can have all the children they want by having sex?

Do you want to make unmarried sex illegal?

I bet you'd like make birth control illegal too, wouldn't you?

[Tabi Katz]

Critics have called it medieval and say it could lead to a ban on abortion.

Perish the thought!

Now, let me get this straight: this law will prohibit donor eggs and surrogacy, but notabortion? Apparently, the artificial creation of life in Italy is a greater crime than its artificial destruction.

[Aliska]

I don't think donating sperm or eggs is a good idea personally. I wouldn't do it and I advised my son not to do it.

Exactly how does that promote family values?

You have to draw the line somewhere. Childless marriages are not the end of the world.

do you understand that unmarried fertile people can have all the children they want by having sex?

I have six illegitimate grandchildren to prove it. I would have wanted better for them.

Do you want to make unmarried sex illegal?

Frankly, I think it would make for a more healthy, stable society. You think it is a good thing what we have now? I think fornication used to be illegal in some places. I think it ought to be illegal for someone like Strom Thurmond to fornicate with his parents' 16-year-old domestic servant.

I bet you'd like make birth control illegal too, wouldn't you?

Personally, I'd make sperm illegal.

I don't know if I'd want birth control completely illegal, but I think it is the cause of a lot of problems in our modern society that were far, far less 50 years ago.

I used different forms of birth control. Some of it was not a good thing at all. There were negative consequences, such as infection from IUD, other things. I think we are too obsessed with sex in our society today. There is more to life than sex and birth control so we can have more sex without babies.

[Aliska]

There are some in Italy who would like to ban abortion, but there is not enough political support for that. Why I don't know.

[WackyKat]

Do you want to make unmarried sex illegal?

Frankly, I think it would make for a more healthy, stable society. You think it is a good thing what we have now? I think fornication used to be illegal in some places. I think it ought to be illegal for someone like Strom Thurmond to fornicate with his parents' 16-year-old domestic servant.

I bet you'd like make birth control illegal too, wouldn't you?

Personally, I'd make sperm illegal.

That someone with your ideas would support this law only reinforces my opinion of it.

By the way,Strom's affair with the black maid was illegal; it was a violation of the miscegenation law.Those laws were struck down as unconstitutional insults to human dignity and freedom. I guess you'd like to reinstate them, too