IB Embryo screening © Oxford University Press 2011 Embryo screening

IB Embryo screening © Oxford University Press 2011 The procedure If both parents know they are carriers of a serious genetic disorder, such as cystic fibrosis (CF), they may decide to have children in the following way: 1have in vitro fertilization (IVF) to produce embryos 2have the embryos tested to see if they have CF (if they have two copies of the CF allele) 3only implant embryos that are free of CF.

IB Embryo screening © Oxford University Press 2011 The advantages of embryo screening  Their children will not have CF. Although CF can be treated, people with it have many health problems and may live shorter lives.  Their children will not have the CF allele, so will not be able to pass on the disorder to their own children.  Although IVF is expensive, in the long term, money will be saved by the NHS as the children born will not have to be treated for CF. Also they will not need a heart–lung transplant.

IB Embryo screening © Oxford University Press 2011 Some arguments against it  Some embryos are formed that do not get the chance to develop into people.  Some people who have a genetic disorder think this procedure is discriminating against them.