The use of Fetal Tissue in Research and Transplants
             Fetal tissue research is done to provide information to society that will eventually lead to the prevention of some diseases and hopefully one day help to discover a cure to some incurable diseases. Right now researchers are doing fetal tissue research to obtain information in areas of fetal tissue transplantation, the development and production of new vaccines, and lastly information on various birth defects and how to prevent or cure them. Fetal tissue research has contributed to the nation's knowledge on various diseases, new vaccines, and a possible treatment to help cure some incurable diseases; however, many ethical and legal concerns arise.
             Each area of fetal research is done on three different types of fetuses: the live, nonviable aborted fetus, the fetus in utero, and the dead fetus. The first type of research done is on the live, nonviable, aborted fetus. This type of research is done to study the period of time in which a fetus can be kept alive after an abortion in order to obtain cells or organs for transplant (Levy 44).
             A second type of fetus that doctors experiment on is the fetus in utero. This type of research is done by amniocentesis. Amniocentesis is the insertion of a needle into the abdominal wall and into the amniotic sac where it withdraws amniotic fluid to be tested. This type of research provides no direct involvement with the fetus; however, it is dangerous because it has the possibility of puncturing a sensitive organ. The process of amniocentesis provides doctors and researchers with information that detects sex-linked diseases and genetic disorders. Another way experimenters conduct tests on the fetus in utero is to give the mother specific drugs or treatment and then observe the effects on the aborted fetus. This way of researching the fetus in utero does have direct involvement with the fetus (Levy 44).
             The third type of fetus u...