Question

Explain Robertson's notion of procreative liberty.

Do you think Robertson's idea of procreative liberty would extend to Nadya Suleman's infamous case of having 8 children at once? Explain why you take the position that you do take. When do you think it is appropriate for the government and medical community to deny reproductive assistance to the individuals who desire it?  

Answer 1

Procreative Liberty :

The idea of ' Proceative Liberty ' is proposed by John Robertson. The idea emphasise on the fact " freedom to reproduce without sex' and also , 'Freedom to have sex without reproduction '. This become the basis of Constitutional rights for birth control and abortion. ' Prenatal selection' was one of the controversial issue, in Robertson's Procreative Liberty, as the procedure encourages many termination of pregnancy.

Nadia Suleman's infamous case of having 8 children at once , was an extension of Robertson's Procreative Liberty. But in truth she never wished for 8 children at once , she asked the Doctor for a twins. Nadya Suleman was known as ' Octomom' and she gave birth to her Octuplets in the year of 2009. She used the method of IVF ( In vitro Fertilisation) for conceiving her 6 older children and the Octuplets. This incident happened due to the use of Reproductive assistive technologies, that were the major focus on John Robertson ' Procreative Liberty.  

It is appropriate for the Government and medical community to deny reproductive assistance to the individual who desire it , when there is a harmful effect on patient or family or society. Many western countries regulated the Assistive reproductive techniques; but many Asian countries still lack the laws pertaining to Artificial reproductive techniques, that leads to the misuse of these type of facilities like increased amount of abortion , based on prenatal screening for gender identicaion or genetic / congenital disorders.