Fetal Tissue Transplantation - Essay Example

The concept of fetal tissue transplant has been one of the most controversial aspects of recent medical research. The very fact that the tissue comes from the aborted fetuses has raised myriad questions especially amongst bioethical campaigners who feel it is certainly inappropriate to use aborted fetuses as a panacea in a medical situation. Well, considering such arguments, it is imperative to realize that upon successful confirmation and development of fetal tissue transplants, it would really create the need to provide the fetal tissues in abundant supplies in order to address the growing demand.

That would create a dilemma in the medical fraternity. Conventional ethics basically fails to concur with such a proposition. The situation becomes more intricate given that no consent is obtained from anybody when the fetus is used in the treatment. The greatest challenge that confronts the medical fraternity in the present age is the unavailability of other options with regard to the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Sure enough, as a challenge to humanity, the disease needs to be addressed.

In the United States, the issue had become so publicized to the extent that the president was forced to intervene and give a national broadcast with reference to the whole research undertaking. The common argument on ethical grounds regards the fact that the research will accelerate and encourage unnecessary abortions in the face of the growing need to treat patients through fetal tissue transplants. On the same account, bioethical researchers argue that a woman who accepts to conduct an abortion cannot authorize the use of the fetal tissues in the medical treatment because she will have abdicated her parental responsibility in the first place.

Sure enough, that point holds water given the challenges that are likely to be realized with women conducting abortions in order to sell the fetal tissues. At the present stage, the state of the whole issue around the fetal tissue transplant is basically experimental. Widespread adoption and acceptability of the method have not yet been realized and the fundamental concern to most critics is the eventual state of affairs upon the full adoption of the process in the world. In a way, the potential of medical research across the world is so great and upon proper funding and support, other options can always be found and thereby eliminate the need for a fecal transplant.

In the same way, the bioethical critics in the medical fraternity should not merely criticize the process on empty grounds without giving options to address the fundamental concerns in the medical field. The most important preoccupation of most of the critics in the medical fraternity should be a much-concerted effort to find other options to treat Parkinson's disease and other concerns like diabetes that can reportedly be addressed by the fetal tissue transplant. In conclusion, it must be realized that the concept of fetal tissue transplant is a very important realization in the medical fraternity.

To merely criticize the efforts of the researchers on ethical grounds without giving options for the challenge is never appropriate. There should be an all-round approach and support from all the parties in order to arrive at a common ground.