Reproductive Technology

From Gothpoodle

It’s possible to have kids the “old-fashioned” way, although most people do a genetic assay to spot defects. If any are encountered, they will genefix the fertilized egg. Other options are:

• Cloning: A common procedure, see Medical Care.
• Exowombs: A baby need not be raised in a mother’s womb. An artificial womb, or exowomb, duplicates the maternal environment. This is still expensive, but common for Fifth Wave parents who want kids without pregnancy, or who lack the plumbing – men, infomorphs, etc.
• DNA Blending: Two people of the same sex can combine genetic material through gengineering. This is costly ($5,000, 1 week) but not unusual. In the case of males, a female egg is used, but its nucleus is removed. The same process also allows parahumans to have children with members of different parahuman or human species. A more radical procedure, known as chimerization, can be used to mix early embryos of completely different species, but this is complex, expensive, and, if mixing human and animal embryos, generally illegal.
• Surrogate Mothers: Fertilized eggs can be moved from one mother and (before or after genetic modification) implanted in another one. The procedure is usually simple and safe, dating back to the 20th century. Complications could ensue if the parent is using drugs, nanosymbionts, etc., or if the baby’s genetics differ significantly from the surrogate’s. In some areas, surrogate wages may be less than the cost of an exowomb, making them a cost-cutting alternative. However, surrogates are illegal in some countries, mostly on ethical grounds.