Category Archives: Bioethics

In my role as Associate Editor for Reproductive Ethics, I recently wrote this editorial  for the Journal of Bioethical Inquiry. Here’s an excerpt from that article:

‘Human reproduction is increasingly being externalized. We have a number of technologies that make this possible: in vitro fertilization (IVF), preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), gamete donation, surrogacy, and, more recently, mitochondrial transfer technologies and uterus transplant. [..]

This Bioethics and Biopolitics: Presents and Futures of Reproduction symposium draws together a series of articles that were each submitted independently by their authors to the JBI and which explore the biopower axis in the externalization of reproduction in four contexts: artificial gestation (ectogenesis), PGD for sex selection, women’s (reproductive) rights, and testicular cryopreservation (TCCP). While one contribution explores a “future” of reproduction, the other three explore a “present,” or better, explore different “presents.” What may counts as “present,” and what may count as “future,” has dramatically different connotations depending on the geographical declination of the tense’.

The full article was published on June 12th, 2017 and is available open-access here:

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11673-017-9787-8

Il mio intervento su “Fiducia pubblica nei saperi esperti in medicina e tecnoscienza” tenuto alla Fondazione Bassetti a Milano il 27 febbraio 2017 e’ online: la registrazione dell’incontro (intervento, e discussione a seguire), comprese le slides e il testo dell’intervento:

http://www.fondazionebassetti.org/it/focus/2017/03/la_fiducia_nei_saperi_esperti.html

Un sentito ringraziamento a Angela Simone, Tommaso Correale, Anna Pellizzone, Francesco Samore’ e il Presidente Piero Bassetti per avermi ospitata!

With the recent growth in popularity of extreme right parties and policies in Europe, as well as racist and dangerous leadership in the US, I think it is important for bioethicists to state clearly where they stand on things.

As I have made my views clear in my publications in peer-reviewed academic journals and in the media:

I favour a cautious, democratic and inclusive approach to governing new genetic technologies, which includes a robust public engagement deliberative process.

I am a cosmopolitanist, which means I regard myself as a citizen of the world and I believe in a shared common morality.

I am staunchly against discrimination in all of its forms, based on colour, creed, country, culture, gender, etc.

I favour women’s empowerment, both in society and with respect to their bodies.

Just to be absolutely clear (this will be obvious to those who know me), I strongly oppose Brexit, Donald Trump, and any policy or politician that could threaten freedom, equality and justice.

That is why I am fond of this quote by the late Stephen Jay Gould:

“We pass through this world but once. Few tragedies can be more extensive than the stunting of life, few injustices deeper than the denial of an opportunity to strive or even to hope, by a limit imposed from without, but falsely identified as lying within” (S.J. Gould, 1981)

If you want to read more about what I think:

https://silviacamporesiresearch.org/what-i-think-about/