Public Consultation on the Use of Human Embryos in Medical Research (2003)
In 2003 the MRC and a coalition of organisations with a common interest in stem cell research commissioned MORI to carry out a national survey of the public’s views about the use of human embryos in medical research. It showed that around 70 per cent of the British public support the use of human embryos for medical research to find treatments for serious diseases and for fertility research. This page gives more details of how the survey was conducted and participants’ views.
Methodology
MORI interviewed a representative quota sample of 2,001 respondents aged 15+, face-to-face, in-home, across 201 sampling points throughout the UK. Between 20 and 25 February 2003, 957 participants were asked version 1 and 1,044 were asked version 2 of the questions shown below.
The questions asked were identical, but for version 1 the respondents were shown additional information, including a photograph of an embryo. Data have been weighted to the national profile.
Additional information given to the ‘Version 1’ group
Sometimes embryos left over from infertility treatment are donated by women and their partners, for medical research.
The cluster of cells shown in Picture A below is a human embryo up to 14 days after conception. Picture B shows its actual size.
Survey findings
Here is a summary of the views of the participants in the two groups:
“Current law allows the use of human embryos up to 14 days after conception to find treatments for serious diseases and for fertility research, but the law does not permit the use of human embryos for most other types of research. | |||
|
|
Version 1 (957) |
Version 2 (1,044) |
A |
The use of human embryos is always acceptable for all types of medical research |
17 |
15 |
B |
The use of human embryos for medical research is only acceptable to find treatments for serious diseases and for fertility research, but not for most other types of research |
56 |
55 |
C |
The use of human embryos for medical research is never acceptable |
17 |
20 |
|
None of these |
2 |
2 |
|
Don’t know |
7 |
8 |
Commissioning organisations
- Alzheimer's Society
- Association of Medical Research Charities
- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
- British Heart Foundation
- Cancer Research UK
- Diabetes UK
- ESRC
- Parkinson's Disease Society
- Royal Society
- Wellcome Trust