MEPs vote to support stem cell research Stem cells come from embryos, umbilical cords, even baby teeth. Britain allows harvesting of stem cells from 'supernumerary embryos' - ones that are the result of in vitro fertilisation (IVF). We also allow the "creation of human embryos for stem cell procurement". I have this mental picture of scientists circling women with their petri dishes out, waiting to scrape us and our babies to 'harvest' the cells they need to do their experiments. Read Spares by Michael Marshall Smith. A story that takes human farms to its logical conclusion. If there are scientific (and financial) gains to be made from women doing IVF (all those lovely embryos to butcher into stem cell sausages), will women still be encouraged to wait, to try natural methods to get pregnant? Will this affect the decision on whether or not IVF should be offered on the NHS? We must always be vigilant to those who use our pain to profit. Women who want to get pregnant are vulnerable and to offer them a Hobson's choice of one whole live baby in exchange for 10 unborn babies (the 'supernumerary embryos') is trully macchiavellian. Until women reclaim procreation as our domain, until we take control over the decisions being made, we leave our wombs in the hands of people who do not respect them.