Most debates on HHGE focusses on other things then the effects it has on women. In discussions on genetic technologies the role of women is almost always left out. Considering that the role of women is fundamental to reproduction. HHGE research should reflect about the risks on women who are willing to participate on germline modification research. Presently there is merely talk of the possible benefits that one might expect for future children and their offspring.
The effects it would have on women:
There is the need for egg extraction. The process of egg extraction demands approximately 60 hours of woman's time. There are several injections (hormonal stimulation) before it and the actual extraction. And there is a considerable risk that goes along with this process. There have been deaths in the process of egg extraction.
We need to have clinical trails, to get to that point, where we can say that this technology is 'safe'. Accordingly we would have to ask women if they would be willing to go through pregnancies with the implanted modified embryo. And they would have to be prepared for abortions, and miscarriages or other failed pregnancies. The harm to the women being part of those trails is quite substantial. How would that be ethical.
If this technology is going to became possible and becoming the norm, there would be enormous social pressures for women to go through IVF. Obviously genome editing requires IVF. Every responsible would-be-mother would feel the pressure to undergo this process, because of the social expectation. The concern is, if the process of CRISPR together with IVF would become the norm, it could impact negatively on women.
