Judith Levine

History has shown that “improvements” in reproductive technology can harm women, and technologies that use genetic engineering to help women become pregnant and select their child’s genetic makeup are no exception, argues Judith Levine in the following viewpoint. The industry that promotes these new reproductive technologies is more interested in profit than promoting women’s reproductive health, she maintains. According to Levine, prenatal genetic modification—the alteration of an embryo’s genes—does not increase reproductive choice for all women, just those who can afford it. Moreover, claims Levine, women cannot give informed consent when agreeing to genetic engineering fertility procedures when the risks are unknown. Levine, who writes on women’s issues for magazines such as Ms., Oxygen, and Salon, is author of...