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Old 07-26-2014, 12:31 PM   #1
driveway
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Default Calgary Fertility Clinic racial policy

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/ca....html?link=rss

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A Calgary woman says she was shocked to learn of a policy at the city’s only fertility treatment centre that restricts patients from using sperm, eggs or embryos from donors who do not match their ethnic background.
...
During routine consultations with her doctor she was told she could only use sperm from donors who were white, like her.
...
Dr. Calvin Greene the clinic’s administrative director, confirmed the private facility will not treat couples or singles who insist on using donors of a different ethnicity.
...
Greene said doctors at the clinic feel “a child of an ethnic background should have the ability to be able to identify with their ethnic roots.” He added patients should have a “cultural connection” to their donors.
Okay, I don't live in Calgary anymore, but I'm seriously livid about this absurdly racist policy. I think most of CP would agree with me, but I'm not sure ... is this as insanely stupid and racist as I think it is?

Either way:

The Website of the Fertility Program: http://www.regionalfertilityprogram.ca/
Their phone number: (403) 284-5444, (Toll Free)1-877-596-6860

Last edited by driveway; 07-26-2014 at 12:34 PM.
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Old 07-26-2014, 01:02 PM   #2
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The issue may not be as black and white (/SWIDT) as you suggest. Not exactly the same thing, but I have a sociology prof friend who researches race/culture matching in adoptions. There are known issues with color-blind matches (just as I'm sure there are valid counter-arguments to it). I would think a fertility clinic will have to consider similar issues.

I wouldn't jump immediately to this clinic having a paid account on stormfront.
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Old 07-26-2014, 01:44 PM   #3
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As someone who has spent years dealing with the Regional Fertility Clinic trying to start a family I can tell you that they are some of the best and most amazing people to deal with in what can be either your most joyful or hardest times you can face dealing with fertility issues.

They have some of the top Doctors in not only Canada but the world working there and any decision or policy that they have in place would not only be in the patients but also the childs best interest. I can tell you that there are MANY donors to choose from and your ability to have a child would not be dependant on what is availiable to choose from there it donors from all races and enthinic backgrounds to match the parents.

Think about how difficult it could be for a child to deal with some of the issues that could arise? Would you really want to possibly put someone through something like that?

Like or hate the policy calling them or filling theiy emails with wastful information just takes the time and resources away from the people that are in need of their time. As a patient of the clinic, please respect their opinion and allow them to focus on the people that they are here to help because with out them working their miracles I can tell you right now I wouldnt have the little guy sleeping in the room down the hall from me.
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Old 07-26-2014, 02:23 PM   #4
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They are fantastic Doctors there.

They have over the past 30 years pushed the boundaries when groups said things like if were unethical. They have a constant fight with groups who accuse them of engineering children for parents.

My thought is that this is a battle that is not worth fighting for them.

They have to walk a fine linen If you are allowed to choose the race of your baby why not the gender
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Old 07-26-2014, 02:48 PM   #5
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Dunno, to me there is a fine line between being racist and being concerned more with the welfare of the child then the ethnic bias of the potential parents.

Wanting a baby of a different ethnicity of either of the parents regardless of the challenges that baby may face reminds me a lot of the 2 deaf women who wanted to engineer a deaf baby. And intentionally putting a child at a disadvantage really pisses me off.

Now if the clinic were to insist that all donors be white regardless of your race then that would be racism.
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Old 07-26-2014, 03:11 PM   #6
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I think it's correct to educate on the socio ethnic differences that can come up when dealing with these situations. What I think is wrong is instituting that the parents can not still make that decision after they've seen the research.

In principle, I agree with what they're attempting. Social cohesion is important, but this is a very slippery slope which I don't think they'll be able to mandate for much longer.
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Old 07-26-2014, 03:17 PM   #7
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The wife and I have 2 little ones at that clinic in the past 5 years and we have seen plenty of bi-racial couples in there for the same services/procedures that we were, so I'm not sure where this is coming from.

This is one of the top fertility clinics on the planet that has people coming from all over the place so they are constantly being watched not only by the public but by government and medical bodies all over the world. If they were doing something incorrectly it would just "slide by" for years at a time.

I'm sure there is a lot more to this story/situation than meets the eye.
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Old 07-26-2014, 03:19 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RyZ View Post
The wife and I have 2 little ones at that clinic in the past 5 years and we have seen plenty of bi-racial couples in there for the same services/procedures that we were, so I'm not sure where this is coming from.
From reading the article if it's a bi-racial couple, then the donor can be any one of the 2 ethnicities, but not any other.

It's also not denying the service to specific ethnicities, it's preventing the donor to be of a different ethnicity, not sure what your confusion is about...
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Old 07-26-2014, 03:53 PM   #9
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Originally Posted by flamesfan6 View Post
From reading the article if it's a bi-racial couple, then the donor can be any one of the 2 ethnicities, but not any other.

It's also not denying the service to specific ethnicities, it's preventing the donor to be of a different ethnicity, not sure what your confusion is about...
Well in that case, as long as the reasons are medical and not political, I don't have a problem with it. What a strange situation that they likely don't run into for years at a time. And what a strange decision make for a set of parents that have a choice (if they do). Why not adopt at that point?
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Old 07-26-2014, 04:16 PM   #10
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I see what they're trying to do here, but I don't see how this is any different than trying to stop interracial procreation or something such. Should definitely be up to the parents to decide. Myself and any mixed people I know seemed to have survived this ruthless land of oppression known as Canada... oh wait... in my 20+ years of life there's been only a couple "bumps" along the road.

Dumb policy.
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Old 07-26-2014, 04:37 PM   #11
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I don't care either way. However, given that they're a private business, she can't really tell them what to do.
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Old 07-26-2014, 04:39 PM   #12
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Just picking out some of the arguments from the Clinic's side:

Quote:
Greene said doctors at the clinic feel “a child of an ethnic background should have the ability to be able to identify with their ethnic roots.” He added patients should have a “cultural connection” to their donors.
Quote:
Greene said the clinic’s policy follows similar guidelines used with in-province adoption and foster care, where children are placed with families of their same cultural background whenever possible.
Quote:
Greene was adamant the rule follows the spirit of Canada’s Assisted Human Reproduction Act, which demands doctors place priority on the well-being of potential children and refrain from producing “designer” babies.
Quote:
They were not infertile but had hoped to use non-Caucasian sperm. “Our psychologist evaluated them and really didn’t see why a couple that is not infertile should be choosing sperm donors they have no cultural relationship with.”
Quote:
Interracial couples treated at the clinic have the option of using donors that are ethnically similar to either one of the partners, he added, noting most patients want their children to resemble them.

I mean it does seem like a policy that does think of the children, but the explanations don't seem to have that much conviction.

Basically the policy is that they will help you make a baby that you can make yourself, so 'rainbow babies' are allowed if you're a 'rainbow couple'.
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Old 07-26-2014, 04:47 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Roughneck View Post
Just picking out some of the arguments from the Clinic's side:












I mean it does seem like a policy that does think of the children, but the explanations don't seem to have that much conviction.

Basically the policy is that they will help you make a baby that you can make yourself, so 'rainbow babies' are allowed if you're a 'rainbow couple'.
The couple wanted to design the race of their baby. These people werent infertile just wasting the clinics time which has long waiting lists for people who need their services

Your last statement says it all you aren't allowed to design anything under canadian law
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Old 07-26-2014, 04:52 PM   #14
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“I think I’ve come to terms and accepted that having children in your life doesn’t necessarily mean ownership of one.”
...what?
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Old 07-26-2014, 07:14 PM   #15
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Last edited by pylon; 07-26-2014 at 10:16 PM.
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Old 07-26-2014, 10:28 PM   #16
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I call BS on the complainant's "reasons":

Quote:
Catherine, who asked to use only her first name, said she sought invitro fertilization at the Regional Fertility Program last March as a single woman. During routine consultations with her doctor she was told she could only use sperm from donors who were white, like her.

...

“I would ask you, why would you not choose somebody of your own cultural background?”

Catherine said there are many reasons. By the time she narrowed down her pool of potential donors to those who met Canadian standards, had a good health history and a compatible blood type, she was left with only 20 or so Caucasian candidates to choose from. Many of them had already been used by several other patients in Calgary.

“Frankly, it’s appalling how many people have the same donors, probably because of this policy,” she said. “A friend of mine just went through this process and used the donor that I would have picked.”

Looking at other ethnicities significantly increased her options. While many people do want children who will look like them, she said she is less concerned with the colour of her potential child’s skin than the demeanour, personality and health history it might inherit from its biological father.
She has 20 potential candidates -- the fact that her "friend" picked the same donor... well, aren't there still 19 others still remaining? Why do you need to expand your list of donors -- at the end of the day, don't you only need one?

I note that the policy has already been upheld by Alberta Human Rights Commission:

Quote:
The Alberta Human Rights Commission upheld the policy after a white couple brought a complaint against the clinic about five years ago, Greene said.
They were not infertile but had hoped to use non-Caucasian sperm. “Our psychologist evaluated them and really didn’t see why a couple that is not infertile should be choosing sperm donors they have no cultural relationship with.”
Last quote:

Quote:
“I think I’ve come to terms and accepted that having children in your life doesn’t necessarily mean ownership of one.”
Really, really bad choice of words here... not sure if it was taken out of context, but "ownership"? Really? It's a kid, not a handbag or a pair of shoes lady...
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Old 07-26-2014, 10:39 PM   #17
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Originally Posted by Acey View Post
Myself and any mixed people I know seemed to have survived this ruthless land of oppression known as Canada... oh wait... in my 20+ years of life there's been only a couple "bumps" along the road.

Dumb policy.
When I first saw the headline I was a little shocked, and after actually reading the article, I see their point and actually agree with it.

As pointed out by others, they are not stopping mixed babies, they are only trying to match the ethnicities of the parents. So if there's a Zimbabwean mother and a Chilean father, they will try to find a donor of one of those two types. If the parents are both of European decent, that's the donor you'll get. No problem. It's the same policy adhered to by Mother Nature.

To the OP: "Racist" is a completely inapplicable term in this case. Who is being offended in this particular case? The sperm? Won't someone please think of the semen?
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Old 07-27-2014, 12:37 AM   #18
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Again, it's the Herald making a mountain out of a molehill to sell a few papers.

The policy does help make things easier. I could totally see a misguided non white ethnic family looking to lighten up the complexion of their child with a little donor material.

For those that haven't travelled, it's not uncommon to see products like this in parts of the world.



A policy like this takes this, or any element of "ethnic engineering" out of the equation.
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Old 07-28-2014, 10:45 PM   #19
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RFP released a statement today regarding the news story:

https://twitter.com/CBCMeg/status/49...539008/photo/1
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Old 07-28-2014, 11:00 PM   #20
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That's a backtrack if I have ever seen one. The federal government called the policy discriminatory.
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