JDRF Policy

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The Archdiocese of Baltimore does not encourage support, financial or otherwise, for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) due to its policies regarding medical research that engages in or endorses practices that violate the dignity of human life, including Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research and the use of fetal tissue derived from abortions.

from Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Scientific Guidelines (updated July 2011)

“JDRF funds research for the derivation of hES from excess embryos created by in vitro fertilization (IVF) for reproductive purposes.” (p. 9)

“JDRF’s long-standing position has been to support research using human fetal material that conforms to state and federal statutory and regulatory requirements. Consistent with these requirements, JDRF requires that for all research using human cadaveric fetal tissue, the decision to donate fetal tissue for research should occur independent of and subsequent to the decision to terminate a pregnancy and that there should be no inducements, financial or otherwise, for the research donation.” (p. 11