The rubber condom, introduced by Goodyear in 1844, was eventually outlawed in 1873 by the Comstock Law, which made contraceptive advertising illegal and permitted the Post Office to confiscate condoms sent through the mail. Of course, the birth-control pill, arguably the most significant reproductive technology ever invented, was outlawed in many states when it was introduced in 1960. But despite the worries of the naysayers, we have shown ourselves to be quite capable of resolving the issues raised by the advent of these technologies. We've done a good job of determining parental responsibility for in vitro children, crafting enforceable surrogacy contracts, and so on. In the case of cytoplasm transfers, the result so far has been healthy children born to parents who would otherwise have been infertile.
Progress surely consists of fulfilling human hopes for health, flourishing, and happiness.
That's what the new reproductive technologies can help do, if only the naysayers will let them.