Prof. Andrea Braverman, PhD
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey

Wednesday, November 18, 2009
11:30AM - 1:00PM
Location:
Mississippi Room, Coffman Memorial Union

Prof. Braverman will discuss how—in the traditional medical model—assisted reproductive technologies featured the doctor acting in the role of the primary decision-maker choosing what was in the best interests of the patient. The patients were passive participants in the building of their families—indeed it was frequently the doctor or nurse who selected the sperm donor for an infertile couple.

In the past few decades, options for family building have grown. Intended parents have evolved from passive patients to informed consumers. Prof. Braverman will argue that the biggest change is only now coming into view, as offspring themselves become active, seeking information about their conception, looking for information about their gamete donors, and trying to find other offspring who share the same donor. Prof. Braverman will suggest that the growth of the Internet has allowed previously unheard-of access to information by individuals seeking to start families, by parents, and by offspring – whether through posting on boards, selection of gamete donors and surrogates, direct-to-consumer genetic testing, gamete-donor registries, or donor sibling registries. These developments are challenging both the policy and practice of assisted reproduction. She will analyze these changes, explore future implications for policy and practice, and discuss the importance for the practitioner, intended parents, and people conceived through the donor process.

Mark Damario MD University of Minnesota Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health; Medical Director, Reproductive Medicine Center	Michele Goodwin, JD, LLM University of Minnesota Everett Fraser Professor in Law; Medical School; School of Public Health