Should Human Cloning Be Banned?

I. Introduction

Cloning is the process of transferring somatic cells from an existing organism to an oocyte where the
nucleus has been taken in order to create genetically similar organisms or organisms that are
genetically identical. Human cloning has become a subject of ethical debate since Ian Wilmut and his
colleagues at the Roslin Institute near Edinburgh, Scotland, successfully cloned Dolly the sheep from
the udder cells of an ewe in 1996. It is now possible to imagine having hundreds of cloned human
infants to potentially cure diseases and provide infertile couples with the possibility of having
children. However, although human cloning may have advantages, it should still be banned because it
has created a lot of controversy as well as scientific, ethical, and moral issues.

II. Body

Disrespect For The Dignity Of The Cloned Person

Developing a sense of self is one of the most rewarding and challenging aspects of being a human. It
includes recognizing our capabilities, strengths, needs, and desires, as well as our role in the
community or the world. Learning from and then breaking away from our parents, and knowing how
we are similar to or different from them, is an important aspect of that process. Human cloning
technology could potentially reduce a cloned child's originality or uniqueness. It would be difficult for
the child to establish a feeling of self even if they were cloned from someone other than their
parents. It may also cause clones to lose value when compared to non-clones or originals. Cloning
would also limit the freedom, autonomy, and self-determination of the clone. Cloned children would
unavoidably be nurtured in the shadow of the individual from whom they were cloned.

Medical Danger

Based on information gained from past cloning research, cloned mammals die younger and develop
illnesses like arthritis. Cloned animals are also more prone to genetic abnormalities and being born
malformed or diseased. In studies, cloned mice have been shown to die prematurely due to liver
damage, tumors, and pneumonia. Because the human cloning technique has not been tested,
scientists cannot rule out biological damage to the clone.According to the National Bioethics Advisory
Commission report, attempting to create a child through somatic cell nuclear transfer cloning is
morally unacceptable for anyone in the private or public sector, whether in a research or clinical
setting, because it poses unacceptable potential risks to the fetus or child. Human cloning would also
put the mother at danger.

Dr. Leon Kass, chairman of the President’s Council of Bioethics, has warned that studies on animal
cloning suggest late-term fetal losses or spontaneous abortions occur at a higher rate in cloned
fetuses than in natural pregnancies. Late-term fetal loss in humans has been shown to increase
maternal mortality and morbidity. Cloning could potentially put the mother's mental health at risk
because of late spontaneous abortions, the birth of a child with severe health issues, or the birth of a
stillborn infant.

Exploitation

Human cloning will undoubtedly result in new exploitation of women. Scientists will require a large
quantity of women's eggs to produce enough cloned embryos to develop a sufficient number of viable
stem cell lines. To do so, women must be injected with superovulatory drugs and undergo an invasive
procedure.The injections induce abdominal pain and nausea, according to Dr. Sukriti Sharma, an
obstetrician and gynecologist; hyperstimulation of the ovaries happens in 3 to 5% of instances,
producing severe abdominal pain; and, in rare situations, surgery is required, which may leave the
patient infertile.Unlike women who endure the dangers connected with egg donation in order to
undergo IVF, women who take such risks for the purpose of research cloning are generally driven by a
desire for financial gain rather than a desire to have a child. Indeed, Advanced Cell Technology paid
each woman who donated eggs for their failed cloning trials with $3,500-$4,000. Women from lower
socioeconomic backgrounds are more prone to be exploited in this way.

III. Conclusion

To conclude, the disadvantages of cloning are significantly greater than the advantages. Concerns vary
from ethical, scientific, and moral concerns, which continue to dominate the cloning debates. Despite
the possible scientific benefits, cloning should be explicitly prohibited because of the many problems,
controversies, and issues presented by some attempts to create clones that have failed in many
instances.

As a result, a critical investigation into cloning shows how attractive genetics is through science and
technology. However, the issue of cloning should be banned, especially among humans, to ensure
that people’s individuality is preserved while at the same time valuing nature as a whole. Given the
possible risks and enormous ethical concerns posed by cloning, further efforts to clone, particularly in
humans, should be prohibited.

REFERENCES:

(Weintraub, 2016) 20 Years after Dolly the Sheep Led the Way—Where Is Cloning Now?
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/20-years-after-dolly-the-sheep-led-the-way-where-is-
cloning-now/

(Williams, 2003) Death of Dolly marks cloning milestone

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982203001489
(Keim, 2007) Only the Cloned Die Young https://www.wired.com/2007/11/only-the-cloned/
(Graham, 2002) Study Suggests Cloned Mice Die Early
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/study-suggests-cloned-mic/

(Knight, 2003) Dolly the sheep dies young https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn3393-dolly-the-

sheep-dies-young/

(Rockville, 1997) Report and Recommendations of the National Bioethics Advisory Commission
https://bioethicsarchive.georgetown.edu/nbac/pubs/cloning1/cloning.pdf

(Kass, 2002) Human Cloning and Human Dignity: An Ethical Inquiry

https://bioethicsarchive.georgetown.edu/pcbe/reports/cloningreport/fullreport.html

(Weldon, 2002) Why Human Cloning Must Be Banned Now https://cbhd.org/content/why-human-

cloning-must-be-banned-now

(Mrunal, 2018) Superovulation – Process, Risks and Success Rates

https://parenting.firstcry.com/articles/superovulation-process-risks-and-success-rates/

(U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON, 2006)

CLONING: A RISK TO WOMEN?
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-108shrg96697/html/CHRG-108shrg96697.htm

(Britannica, 2020) cloning https://www.britannica.com/science/cloning