Stem Cell Research Persuasive Speech

What if there was a way to move into an era of advanced science and medicine? Stem cell research may open up the path to advance into this era. While this may sound promising, there are those who oppose this research and they wish to put a stop to it. But, what exactly is stem cell research, and what is the issue with it? Stem cells are cells in organisms that can develop into any type of cell that an organism needs, and stem cell research is simply the study and analysis of these cells. The main dispute caused by this lays with how these cells are required for research. Some people do not agree with the methods and the sources they obtained the cells from, more specifically those that are taken from human embryo’s. They claim that stem cell …show more content…
This is because they believe that gathering human stem cells for research involves and causes the death of a fetus, whether through the controversial method of abortion or through other methods. Those against abortion do not approve of research that they believe is a result of an abortion. The one issue they all have is that they do not support research that they consider to undeniably involve the destruction of a human life. However, these claims have little truth to them when it is noted that all stem cells are actually a result of donations. Adults, while they do not have many stem cells to give, can donate stem cells without any risk. Umbilical cord blood and cells can also be received through a donation with the consent of the parent, which is of no harm to the newborn child and can actually be held in storage for the child in case of a future event where they may need a donation of their own stem cells. Some individuals also donate gametes (sperm and egg cells) which are used to create embryones in the lab where stem cells are taken from them within a specific time frame before they are considered to be living. They are typically taken within a three to five day time limit after ‘conception’ which is before any senses or neurological feelings have even begun to develop, so they are scientifically not considered to be living. In the cases that an embryo’s stem cells have not been taken within the time limit required, they are given to couples who could otherwise not have children through a process known as in-vitro fertilization. In other cases stem cells are taken from embryos and fetuses that have been donated due to a genetic mutation or malformation that would not have allowed them to live, not through the abortion of a perfectly healthy baby. While stem cells retrieved from aborted