Professor Ikemoto Comments for Los Angeles Times on Legal Battles over Frozen Embryos
Professor Lisa Ikemoto commented for the Los Angeles Times on the legal disputes that have arisen over frozen human embryos. There are an estimated 1 million frozen human embryos in the United States, and in dozens of cases estranged couples have resorted to legal action after disagreements over their disposal.
In California, fertility clinics are required to offer clients contracts that state what should happen to the embryos in the event of a disagreement or divorce, the article notes. "The contract approach is appealing because it provides more certainty, but I am uncomfortable with that," Ikemoto said. "A lot of people just fill them out because they want the procedure" and don't carefully consider the future, she said.
Lisa Ikemoto teaches bioethics and health law courses at the UC Davis School of Law. She has written extensively on genetic and reproductive technology, the regulation of fertility and pregnancy, and race and gender disparities in health care. Her current work examines emerging issues in regenerative medicine, including stem cell research, and the human tissues market.