Explore

Bioethics: The Law, Medicine, and Ethics of Reproductive Technologies and Genetics

10 weeks long

Save Course

Go to Course

Brief Introduction

An introduction to the study of bioethics and the application of legal and ethical reasoning.

Course Summary

Explore the ethical and legal implications of reproductive technologies and genetics with this course from Harvard. Learn about the moral and legal issues surrounding assisted reproduction, genetic testing, and gene editing.

Key Learning Points

Understand the ethical and legal implications of reproductive technologies and genetics
Explore the moral and legal issues surrounding assisted reproduction
Gain knowledge on genetic testing and gene editing

Learning Outcomes

Develop critical thinking skills to analyze ethical and legal issues
Understand the implications of current and emerging reproductive technologies and genetics
Gain knowledge on the regulatory frameworks and policies surrounding reproductive technologies and genetics

Prerequisites or good to have knowledge before taking this course

No prior knowledge or experience necessary
Access to a computer and internet connection

Course Difficulty Level

Intermediate

Course Format

Online
Self-paced
Video lectures
Interactive quizzes

Similar Courses

Medical Ethics
Health Law, Policy, and Bioethics
Genomics and Precision Medicine

Notable People in This Field

Frances Glessner Lee Professor of Medical Ethics
Vice Provost for Global Initiatives

Related Books

Description

Course description

Bioethics provides an overview of the legal, medical, and ethical questions around reproduction and human genetics and how to apply legal reasoning to these questions.

This law course includes interviews with individuals who have used surrogacy and sperm donation, with medical professionals who are experts in current reproductive technologies like In Vitro Fertilization and Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis, and bioethicists and journalists who study the ownership and use of genetic information within human tissue. Additional Harvard colleagues will also share with you their thoughts on topics such as disability law as it relates to reproductive technology.

While the law and ethics surrounding these technologies are a central component to this course, we also show you examples of the deeply personal and human side of these issues. Throughout the course, and with the help of law students, we will discuss leading legal cases in this field, which will illuminate the types of questions the law has struggled with – stretching and evolving over time. From the famous Baby M surrogacy case, to cases on the paternity of sperm donors, to a case related to the ownership of human tissue turned into a commercial product, and others. We will show you the ethical, legal, and rhetorical underpinnings, which have served as the basis for various court decisions over the past 20 or 30 years. We will also explore potential future technologies and their implications for society: genetic enhancements to increase our intelligence, let us live a hundred years longer, or make us immune to diseases – and the possibility of creating animal-human hybrids, for example a mouse with a humanized brain.

The content within this course is intended to be instructive, and show how legal reasoning has been applied, or could be applied, to questions related to parenthood, reproduction, and other issues surrounding human genetic material. The material organized within this course should be considered an authoritative overview, but is not intended to serve as medical or legal advice.

This course is designed for a diverse audience including, but not limited to, law students, prospective law students, medical professionals, as well as members of the general public interested in questions and topics related to surrogacy, parenthood, genetic and reproductive technology, ownership of genetic material, and more. You do not need any background in law, medicine, philosophy, or really any subject to enjoy this course. This course is meant to be an introduction for anyone interested in these topics.

Knowledge

What you'll learn
How the reproductive technology industry works, and issues raised related to buying and selling human reproductive materials
The law and ethics of surrogacy
Civil lawsuits when things go wrong with reproductive technology: wrongful birth and wrongful life lawsuits
The law and ethics of sperm donation and the legal status of sperm donors, and of mixing human and animal genetic material
Ethical and legal issues raised by human enhancement
The ownership of human tissue and its underlying genetic information

Outline

Buying and Selling Reproductive Materials

Surrogacy

Wrongful Life and Wrongful Birth

Sperm and Egg Donation

Sperm Donor Anonymity

Enhancement

Human-Animal Hybrids and Patent of Human Genetic Material

Summary of User Reviews

This Harvard online course on Bioethics, Law, Medicine and Ethics of Reproductive Technologies and Genetics has received positive reviews from users. Many users have praised the course for its thoroughness and thought-provoking content.