Un-Knowing the Embryo

The Moral Labor of Doing Preimplantation Genetic Testing in France

Bibliographic Data

ID4564425
AuthorsAnne-Sophie Giraud (0000-0002-1755-0493, LISST-Centre of social anthropology (UMR 5193), corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume44
Issue2
Pages185-201
Publication date2025-02-17
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueMedical Anthropology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0145-9740 • E-ISSN: 1545-5882
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/01459740.2025.2479673
PMID40114479
OpenAlexW4408684642
LanguageEN
References cited56

Preimplantation genetic testing is an ethically sensitive practice that aims to prevent the birth of children with hereditary diseases by transferring only "healthy" embryos. While French law forbids discarding healthy-carrier embryos, it leaves a "gray area" regarding the preference for non-carriers. This ambiguity creates "moral tensions" for professionals. To ease the ethical burden, they engage in a "moral labor" that involves maintaining - or even creating - ignorance about the exact genetic status of the embryos transferred, allowing them to navigate the moral complexities of their work

Biology · Embryo · Embryo transfer · Genetic testing · Political science · Sociology · Biomedical Ethics and Regulation · Genetics · Organ Donation and Transplantation · Reproductive Health and Technologies

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