O-168 The dark shadow of historical eugenics on reproductive technologies and practices

Abstract

Abstract Eugenics is often referred to in discussions on the ethics of reproductive technologies. References to the word “eugenics” are often used to draw distinctions between ethically permissible and impermissible technologies, and permissible and impermissible uses of these technologies. While historians have long argued that 20th century eugenics cannot be reduced to a uniform set of practices, references to eugenics in discussions on the ethics of reproductive technologies have proven difficult to eradicate. Some authors stress the similarities between past eugenics and present reproductive technologies (what I define here as “the continuity view”) to condemn these technologies. Others focus instead on the differences between past and present (what I define here as “the discontinuity view”) to defend reproductive technologies. In this talk, I canvass the meanings and uses of the word “eugenics” in relation to the permissibility of reproductive technologies and argue that disagreement concerning the value and ethical standing of these technologies originates in divergent views of condemnable and justifiable features of the past. Moreover, I suggest focusing on the reproductive preferences of those accessing fertility treatment as a starting point for any analysis concerning the permissibility of novel reproductive technologies. Trial registration number XXXX