Sex in the Future Baker (pb)

First published in 1999 as "Ancient Urges Meet Future Technology", Baker predicts that there will be reproduction restaurants, where the ideal gamete partners for our offspring can be chosen. Advances in technology will result in same sex parents, cloning and the like. Only those unable to pay will consider having children the natural way.

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Artificial insemination and IVF, cloning, surrogacy, paternity testing: what will happen when ancient urges meet future technology? Robin Baker uses fictionalized scenes followed by scientific analysis to show the future of reproduction. He predicts that we will be able to go to "reproduction restaurants" like today's Internet cafes to choose ideal gamete partners for our offspring. Advances in technology will result in same sex parents. Couples will be able to have some children by cloning and others by IVF. And only those who can't afford it will consider having children the natural way and not through IVF. Some of the technology we already have - it is squeamishness or moral qualms that stop us - other parts may be with us by the middle of next century. But are we ready for some of the possible ramifications?