The "embryo" wars: at the epicenter of science, law, religion, and politics.

Abstract

The increasingly public debate over that has recently arisen in the context of stem cell research has revealed deeply divided political, religious, ethical, and policy differences among average Americans. At the same time, it has cast a spotlight on the legal quagmires that such embryos resulting from reproductive technology have created in areas as diverse as health, family, contract, and estate law. This article examines what the law has and has not been able to resolve to this point with respect to In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) embryo disposition options; the evolving statutory and case law in this area; some of the scientific distinctions made between dif ferent types of embryos; and the legal and law-related policy aspects of the current debate over that arise from the advances in and potential for stem cell research.1