Biotechnology has led human reproduction through four major revolutions: It has made it possible to have sex without having children (contraception), to have children without having sex (IVF), to have children without own eggs and sperm (donation), as well as stopping the biological clock (freezing of eggs and tissues). Three new radical revolutions are at the door: Having children without having a womb. To have children with themselves. To design their children (for real). Before we embrace the new possibilities, it may be wise to see what we have learned from previous revolutions. The contraceptives made it possible to free one of the basic human needs, sex, from the danger of having children. This represented a radical liberation – particularly for women. But when sex became less dangerous, it also became less binding. When the pleasure of the moment was disconnected from consequences for the rest of life, it lost its binding function. Being able to have children without having sex was primarily a revolution for those who, for various reasons, could not have children through intercourse. Over 3 per cent of children born in Norway are created with the help of in vitro fertilization (IVF). The third revolution is associated with the fact that access to eggs and sperm was freed from sex. Being able to obtain or buy sperm or egg cells has been of great help to those who have not had their own sex cells. At the same time, you no longer need a partner. You can have children without a partner, and single women now make up the majority of those receiving fertility treatment. Because men need a surrogate mother, which is currently not legal in many countries, they end up in the reproductive backlog. We do not yet know what consequences this will have, but it is probably only temporary. The fourth revolution is to stop the biological clock. By freezing your own eggs, or getting eggs from younger women, it is possible to prolong fertility. It increases reproductive freedom for women, but it also allows older mothers. The record is 74 years. There are three important characteristics of these revolutions: Reproduction is independent of sex and has given wonderful opportunities to people who previously could not have children. Reproduction is freed from relationships. You don’t need a partner. It has increased reproductive freedom – especially for women. The possibilities are easy to enjoy. Freedom too, but with freedom and choice also comes responsibility. Future children may blame their parents for the choices they made. Perhaps one of the biggest changes is that reproduction is freed from relationships. All societies are built on binding relationships. When reproduction loses its relationship-building function, society loses some of its glue. Other relationships can of course take over. Loyalty to football teams seems to surpass loyalty to close family. But any society where relationships change must think through what this means – both for the individual and society. The fact that we are getting more single parents is not a cause for concern, but it is known that children of single women and women who receive assisted reproduction have increased morbidity and need more health services than others. It is also known that children of anonymous donors are concerned about their origin and anxious about falling in love with a sibling. But many of the problems with donation may soon become a thing of the past. The fifth reproductive revolution is probably that one will become independent of others in order to obtain gametes. It is possible to make eggs and sperm from skin cells. This is a fantastic opportunity for people who do not produce their own eggs or sperm. This means that same-sex couples can have “genetic” children with each other. But it also means that women do not have to resort to a sperm donor to have children. The man’s role in procreation becomes even smaller. In addition, it will be possible to bring children with you. You can make both eggs and sperm from your own skin cells. Evolutionarily biologically, it might not be beneficial, but it’s not hard to imagine people who think it’s a good idea. Besides, if you are going to have a child on your own anyway, why confuse the child by involving someone else? The fact that men seem to be becoming redundant in human reproduction is perhaps a temporary problem. Research is being done to create artificial wombs, and results from animals mean that a number of technology-savvy researchers envision that this can be done for humans in the near future. This sixth revolution will eventually free reproduction entirely from human intercourse, bringing us closer to Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World” than anyone thought possible. Utopian, many would say, but when so-called ectogenesis (artificial womb) becomes the only way some people can have children, the pressure will be great. Then the path from possibility to reality becomes short. How it goes with children born in an artificial womb will be a serious experiment. The seventh revolution is the production of what has been erroneously called “designer children”. In the past, it has not been possible to design germ cells, fetuses or children. It has only been possible to examine and select cells, embryos or fetuses with certain characteristics. What is new now is that with gene editing we can change the genetic material directly. He Jiankui, the Chinese researcher who “made” Lulu and Nana, two gene-edited babies, showed that this is not utopian. It is understandable that people want as perfect children as possible, but what responsibility do we take on and what kind of society do we get when we design children? Biotechnology has and will revolutionize human reproduction. It will change us as individuals, society and species. It will undoubtedly help people who would otherwise not be able to have children, but it will also change the dynamic between the sexes. In addition, technology frees reproduction from binding relationships. Thereby it changes society. It gives us more choices – but also increased responsibility. The question is whether we are ready to take responsibility – and to shape the technology – and not just be shaped by it. In a global perspective, many of the possibilities of reproductive technology are of course meaningless. Many millions of children could be saved from dying with simple means every year, and many orphans need good and safe adults. But who has time to think about such things in times of high electricity prices?
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The designer children of the future – Statement
