Bioethics Babe

Arina Grossu Agnew
  • 5.0 (4)
  • SCIENCE
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

On the Bioethics Babe podcast we examine the tough questions and human flourishing in light of science, faith, and culture. Each week we will do a deep-dive into a bioethical issue with a top medical, academic, or policy expert. www.bioethicsbabe.com

  1. “Margaret Sanger: Did Birth Control Rewire Feminism and Spark the Sexual Revolution?” with Dr. Angela Franks | Ep. 25

    3D AGO

    “Margaret Sanger: Did Birth Control Rewire Feminism and Spark the Sexual Revolution?” with Dr. Angela Franks | Ep. 25

    Did birth control give women freedom or did it fundamentally change feminism itself? Before the 1960s sexual revolution, before the Pill became mainstream, Margaret Sanger was already advancing a radical idea: that women could not be free unless their fertility was controlled. She didn’t just promote contraception, she reframed it as essential to freedom, autonomy, and progress. But what if that idea didn’t actually expand freedom… what if it redefined womanhood? In this episode of Bioethics Babe, I sit down with Dr. Angela Franks, theologian, author of Margaret Sanger’s Eugenic Legacy: The Control of Female Fertility, to uncover the deeper story behind the birth control movement. We explore: How early feminism shifted from supporting women as mothers, to controlling fertilityWhy Sanger saw fertility as the root of social problemsThe overlooked connection between the birth control and the eugenics movementHow contraception reshaped sex, relationships, and commitmentWhy separating sex from procreation didn’t just change behavior, it changed the meaning of sex itselfHow the Pill made the sexual revolution possible and why it brought unintended consequencesThe ethical questions behind early contraceptive trials on vulnerable womenWhether modern feminism has lost something essentialAnd what it would take to reclaim an authentic vision of feminism todayThis isn’t just about history. It’s about the ideas that shaped our culture and whether they delivered the freedom we were promised. Because if fertility becomes something to control, what do we lose in the process? 📚For Episode Resources, please visit the episode page. For more information, the latest episodes, and additional resources, visit www.bioethicsbabe.com. Follow BB on social media: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BioethicsBabe Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576554667052 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bioethicsbabe X: https://x.com/bioethicsbabe

    1h 6m
  2. “Do Rape, Incest, and Life of the Mother Justify Abortion? A Bioethicist Responds” with Fr. Tad Pacholczyk | Ep. 24

    MAR 24

    “Do Rape, Incest, and Life of the Mother Justify Abortion? A Bioethicist Responds” with Fr. Tad Pacholczyk | Ep. 24

    Do cases of rape, incest, or when the mother’s life is in jeopardy justify abortion? These are the hardest questions in the abortion debate: emotionally charged, deeply tragic, and often used to challenge the pro-life position. But how should we think about these cases from a medical, ethical, and human perspective? In this episode of Bioethics Babe, I sit down with Fr. Tad Pacholczyk, priest, neuroscientist, and Senior Ethicist at the National Catholic Bioethics Center, to take on these difficult questions head-on. We explore: Why rare cases like rape and incest dominate the abortion debateThe difference between emotional arguments and ethical reasoningWhether abortion heals or compounds traumaThe principle of double effect explained in real medical casesEctopic pregnancy and other “life of the mother” scenariosThe critical distinction between direct vs. indirect abortionWhy bioethics insists there are always two patients: mother and childIf you’ve ever wondered how to think clearly and compassionately about the hardest cases, tune in to this discussion. 📚For Episode Resources, please visit the episode page: https://bioethicsbabe.com/do-rape-incest-and-life-of-the-mother-justify-abortion-a-bioethicist-responds-with-fr-tad-pacholczyk-ep-24/ For more information, the latest episodes, and additional resources, visit www.bioethicsbabe.com. Follow BB on social media: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BioethicsBabe Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576554667052 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bioethicsbabe X: https://x.com/bioethicsbabe

    2h 2m
  3. “Infertility in the Age of IVF: Can Life Still Be Fruitful Without Biological Children?” with Leigh Snead | Ep. 23

    MAR 17

    “Infertility in the Age of IVF: Can Life Still Be Fruitful Without Biological Children?” with Leigh Snead | Ep. 23

    In an age of IVF, embryo selection, and a rapidly expanding fertility industry, couples facing infertility are often given a clear message: if you want a child badly enough, technology can make it happen. But what if that’s not the whole story? What if infertility is not just a medical condition to be solved but a profound personal, relational, and even spiritual trial? And what if a life without biological children can still be deeply meaningful and truly fruitful? In this episode of Bioethics Babe, I sit down with Leigh Snead, author of Infertile but Fruitful, fellow with the Catholic Association, and co-host of the nationally syndicated show Conversations with Consequences to explore the deeper questions surrounding infertility in the age of IVF. We discuss: Why infertility is often misunderstood as a problem technology must fixThe ethical and emotional questions many couples are never told about IVFWhy adoption is not a “solution” to infertility but a distinct vocationThe hidden grief many couples carry, even years laterWhat it really means to live a fruitful life beyond biological parenthoodThis conversation challenges one of the most dominant assumptions of our time: that every form of suffering should be eliminated and that every desire for a child must be fulfilled through technology and by any means necessary. Instead, it asks a deeper question: What if fruitfulness is bigger than biology? If this conversation resonated with you, consider subscribing to Bioethics Babe for more discussions at the intersection of medicine, ethics, and human dignity. 📚For Episode Resources, please visit the episode page: https://bioethicsbabe.com/infertility-in-the-age-of-ivf-can-life-still-be-fruitful-without-biological-children-with-leigh-snead-ep-23/ For more information, the latest episodes, and additional resources, visit www.bioethicsbabe.com. Follow BB on social media: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BioethicsBabe Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576554667052 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bioethicsbabe X: https://x.com/bioethicsbabe

    1h 35m
  4. “Are Some ‘Brain Dead’ Patients Actually Alive? A Neurologist Examines Brain Death Criteria” with Dr. Christopher DeCock | Ep. 22

    MAR 11

    “Are Some ‘Brain Dead’ Patients Actually Alive? A Neurologist Examines Brain Death Criteria” with Dr. Christopher DeCock | Ep. 22

    What is death? It’s the moment a human being ceases to exist. But when is that exactly? We tend to think we know the answer, but what if the question is not that simple, especially when it comes to brain death? In this episode of Bioethics Babe, pediatric neurologist Dr. Christopher DeCock examines one of the most important questions in medicine, law, and bioethics: What if the medical criteria used to declare someone brain dead are not actually proving what we think they are proving? Current brain death determinations are largely based on clinical brain death criteria developed by the American Academy of Neurology, including coma, absence of brainstem reflexes, and apnea testing. But do these tests truly demonstrate the cessation of all brain function, as the law requires? Dr. DeCock explains the philosophical and biological meaning of death, the difference between organs and organisms, and why the distinction between irreversible and permanent cessation matters. We also explore controversial cases, the debate over hypothalamic function, the dead donor rule, and what is at stake if the criteria used to determine brain death are incomplete. We discuss: • What death actually is (philosophically and biologically) • Brain death vs. coma vs persistent vegetative state • The difference between organs and organisms • Do brain death tests measure the entire brain? • The debate over hypothalamic function in brain death • Irreversible vs. permanent cessation explained • The Uniform Determination of Death Act (UDDA) • Brain death and organ donation ethics • The dead donor rule • Why accurate death determination matters If death marks the boundary between treating a patient and procuring organs for transplantation, the standards used to determine death must be clear, rigorous, and trustworthy. This conversation explores whether modern medicine has truly answered the question: When is a human being truly dead? 📚For Episode Resources, please visit the episode page: https://bioethicsbabe.com/are-some-brain-dead-patients-actually-alive-a-neurologist-examines-brain-death-criteria-with-dr-christopher-decock-ep-22/ For more information, the latest episodes, and additional resources, visit www.bioethicsbabe.com. Follow BB on social media: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BioethicsBabe Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576554667052 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bioethicsbabe X: https://x.com/bioethicsbabe

    1h 32m
  5. “Is Transhumanism the New Eugenics? The War on Human Equality" with Wesley J. Smith | Ep. 21

    MAR 3

    “Is Transhumanism the New Eugenics? The War on Human Equality" with Wesley J. Smith | Ep. 21

    Is transhumanism the next frontier of progress or a revival of eugenics in a biotech age? In this episode of Bioethics Babe, I sit down with attorney, award-winning author, and Humanize podcast host Wesley J. Smith to unpack the growing transhumanist movement, the push to engineer a “post-human” future through AI, gene editing, cognitive enhancement, designer babies, and radical life extension. From CRISPR gene editing and Neuralink to the “Singularity” and digital immortality, transhumanism promises to eliminate suffering, enhance intelligence, and even defeat death itself. But at what cost? We explore: Does transhumanism undermine human equality?Are we dividing society into the “enhanced” and the “natural”?Is the pursuit of immortality driven by fear of death?When does enhancement become eugenics?Can AI and biotechnology coexist with human dignity?Is the desire to eliminate suffering leading us toward eliminating the sufferer?As history has shown, whenever human worth is tied to capacity such as intelligence, strength, and productivity, equality collapses. If some humans are “upgradeable,” are others expendable? This conversation dives deep into the philosophical, moral, and political implications of transhumanism and asks whether we are quietly waging a war on human equality in the name of progress. 📚For Episode Resources, please visit the episode page: https://bioethicsbabe.com/is-transhumanism-the-new-eugenics-the-war-on-human-equality-with-wesley-j-smith-ep-21/ For more information, the latest episodes, and additional resources, visit www.bioethicsbabe.com. Follow BB on social media: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BioethicsBabe Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576554667052 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bioethicsbabe X: https://x.com/bioethicsbabe

    1h 41m
  6. "Designer Babies: When IVF Becomes Human Design" with Dr. Tara Sander Lee | Ep. 20

    FEB 25

    "Designer Babies: When IVF Becomes Human Design" with Dr. Tara Sander Lee | Ep. 20

    IVF was introduced as a way to address infertility, even though it is fraught with ethical problems. But today, it increasingly involves grading embryos, screening genetic traits, and deciding which embryos are chosen. Are we entering an era where reproduction becomes human design? In this episode, Harvard-trained biochemist Tara Sander Lee, Ph.D. explains how modern IVF increasingly involves eugenic practices. We examine: • When human life begins from a scientific standpoint • How embryo grading determines which embryos are transferred, frozen, or discarded • The difference between single-gene disorder screening and polygenic risk scores • Whether “designer babies” are already a reality • The ethical risks of genetic trait selection • What the Tiffany Score & Steven Mills IVF embryo mix-up revealed about industrialized reproduction • Whether gene editing and CRISPR can ever be ethical As IVF expands beyond infertility “treatment” and into optimization, urgent questions emerge about human dignity, disability, and the moral limits of reproductive technology. This is a conversation about science, power, and whether medicine is meant to heal people or to redesign them. 📚For Episode Resources, please visit the episode page: https://bioethicsbabe.com/designer-babies-when-ivf-becomes-human-design-with-dr-tara-sander-lee-ep-20/ For more information, the latest episodes, and additional resources, visit www.bioethicsbabe.com. Follow BB on social media: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BioethicsBabe Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576554667052 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bioethicsbabe X: https://x.com/bioethicsbabe

    1h 53m
  7. “Has Feminism Betrayed Motherhood?” with Kimberly Cook | Ep. 19

    FEB 17

    “Has Feminism Betrayed Motherhood?” with Kimberly Cook | Ep. 19

    Has modern feminism liberated women or has it quietly turned women against their own motherhood? In this episode of Bioethics Babe, I sit down with Kimberly Cook, author of Motherhood Redeemed: How Radical Feminism Betrayed Maternal Love, to examine one of the most controversial questions of our time: Has feminism betrayed motherhood? Kimberly shares her powerful personal journey from embracing modern feminist ideology to rediscovering the beauty of femininity, fertility, and maternal love through her Christian conversion. Together, we explore: How contraception reshaped women’s identity and not just behaviorWhy early women’s rights activism differed from 20th-century feminismMargaret Sanger, Simone de Beauvoir, and the shift toward “biological slavery” languageThe connection between contraception, abortion, no-fault divorce, and today’s gender confusionWhat St. John Paul II meant by the “feminine genius”Why motherhood is not a limitation but a spiritual powerThis conversation goes beyond politics. It confronts the deeper spiritual question: What happens when women are taught to see their fertility as a curse rather than a gift? From birth control and abortion to the breakdown of the family and declining birth rates, we unpack how ideas shape culture and why redeeming motherhood may be essential to restoring human dignity. 📚For Episode Resources, please visit the episode page: https://bioethicsbabe.com/has-feminism-betrayed-motherhood-with-kimberly-cook-feminism-series-part-2-ep-19/ This is the second episode in the Feminism Series. Check out the first episode in the series here: “The Lie of Modern Feminism: What Early Feminists Really Believed” with Erika Bachiochi, Feminism Series Part 1 | Ep. 10 https://bioethicsbabe.com/the-lie-of-modern-feminism-what-early-feminists-really-believed-with-erika-bachiochi-feminism-series-part-1-ep-10/ For more information, the latest episodes, and additional resources, visit www.bioethicsbabe.com. Follow BB on social media: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BioethicsBabe Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576554667052 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bioethicsbabe X: https://x.com/bioethicsbabe

    2h 22m
  8. “Is Love All You Need? Truth, Intention, and Moral Action” with Fr. James Brent, OP | Ep. 18

    FEB 10

    “Is Love All You Need? Truth, Intention, and Moral Action” with Fr. James Brent, OP | Ep. 18

    Is love really all you need to make something ethical? In a culture that treats good intentions as the highest moral standard, this episode asks a harder and more important question: Can love be ethical without truth? In this episode of Bioethics Babe, I’m joined by Fr. James Dominic Brent, OP, a Dominican priest and philosopher in the Thomistic tradition, to examine why sincerity alone isn’t enough in moral decision-making, especially in medicine, relationships, and family life. Drawing on Catholic moral theology and the philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas, Fr. Brent explains: Why good intentions are necessary but never sufficient for moral actionHow love is properly understood as willing the true good of the otherWhy actions shape not only outcomes, but who we become as personsThe moral difference between relieving suffering and eliminating the suffererHow separating love from truth puts the most vulnerable people — children, the sick, the elderly—at greatest riskFrom IVF and euthanasia to sexual ethics, consent, and modern ideas of affirmation, this conversation challenges the assumption that “if it’s done out of love, it can’t be wrong.” Especially fitting around Valentine’s Day, this episode offers a deeper vision of love, one rooted not in emotion or convenience, but in truth, sacrifice, and human dignity. 📚For Episode Resources, please visit the episode page: https://bioethicsbabe.com/is-love-all-you-need-truth-intention-and-moral-action-with-fr-james-brent-op-ep-18/ For more information, the latest episodes, and additional resources, visit www.bioethicsbabe.com. Follow BB on social media: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BioethicsBabe Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576554667052 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bioethicsbabe X: https://x.com/bioethicsbabe

    1h 32m
See All (27)

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

On the Bioethics Babe podcast we examine the tough questions and human flourishing in light of science, faith, and culture. Each week we will do a deep-dive into a bioethical issue with a top medical, academic, or policy expert. www.bioethicsbabe.com

Information

  • Creator
    Arina Grossu Agnew
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    27
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Arina Grossu Agnew
  • Show Website
    Bioethics Babe