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Human Heredity 11th Edition by Michael Cummings
Edition 11ISBN: 978-1305251052Human Heredity 11th Edition by Michael Cummings
Edition 11ISBN: 978-1305251052 Exercise 1
The Business of Making Babies
New technology has made the business of human fertilization a part of private enterprise. One in six couples in the United States is classified as infertile, and most of these couples want to have children. The first successful in vitro fertilization (IVF) in the United States was done in 1981 at the Medical College of Virginia at Norfolk. Since then, more than 400 hospitals and clinics using IVF and ART have opened. Many of these clinics are associated with university medical centers, but others operate as freestanding businesses. Most have only a single location, but national chains are becoming part of the business. One of the largest, the Sher Institute for Reproductive Medicine, has eight locations nationwide, with plans for more. Some clinics are public companies that have sold stock to raise start-up money or to cover operating costs.
Charges for services in the baby industry include sperm samples ($275), eggs ($10,000 to $50,000), and IVF ($5,000 to $15,000). Because success rates are less than 50% for each IVF, several attempts are usually required. Because the costs are generally not covered by insurance, IVF is a major expense for couples who want children. If a couple wants a surrogate mother, costs range from $15,000 to $30,000.
Deborah Spar, author of The Baby Business , estimates that the ART business is a $3-billionper- year industry. Because of the high start-up costs and expertise required, it is likely that the field will undergo significant consolidation and eventually be dominated by a small number of companies through franchising agreements. Some investment analysts predict that IVF alone will grow into a $6 billion annual business.
Remarkably, this business has little or no oversight from government agencies or industry groups. There is little consistency from state to state in laws governing the fertility business or insurance coverage for some or all of its procedures and safeguards for the property rights of donors or clients.
Should fertility clinics be required to disclose all the risks of ART to couples seeking fertility treatments? Are state and/or federal laws the best way to achieve this?
New technology has made the business of human fertilization a part of private enterprise. One in six couples in the United States is classified as infertile, and most of these couples want to have children. The first successful in vitro fertilization (IVF) in the United States was done in 1981 at the Medical College of Virginia at Norfolk. Since then, more than 400 hospitals and clinics using IVF and ART have opened. Many of these clinics are associated with university medical centers, but others operate as freestanding businesses. Most have only a single location, but national chains are becoming part of the business. One of the largest, the Sher Institute for Reproductive Medicine, has eight locations nationwide, with plans for more. Some clinics are public companies that have sold stock to raise start-up money or to cover operating costs.
Charges for services in the baby industry include sperm samples ($275), eggs ($10,000 to $50,000), and IVF ($5,000 to $15,000). Because success rates are less than 50% for each IVF, several attempts are usually required. Because the costs are generally not covered by insurance, IVF is a major expense for couples who want children. If a couple wants a surrogate mother, costs range from $15,000 to $30,000.
Deborah Spar, author of The Baby Business , estimates that the ART business is a $3-billionper- year industry. Because of the high start-up costs and expertise required, it is likely that the field will undergo significant consolidation and eventually be dominated by a small number of companies through franchising agreements. Some investment analysts predict that IVF alone will grow into a $6 billion annual business.
Remarkably, this business has little or no oversight from government agencies or industry groups. There is little consistency from state to state in laws governing the fertility business or insurance coverage for some or all of its procedures and safeguards for the property rights of donors or clients.
Should fertility clinics be required to disclose all the risks of ART to couples seeking fertility treatments? Are state and/or federal laws the best way to achieve this?
Explanation
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Verified
ART (Assisted reproductive technologies)...
Human Heredity 11th Edition by Michael Cummings
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