Controversial Cadaver Sex Show

September 17, 2009

It could be coming to a neighborhood near you!

Since 1995, German anatomist Gunther von Hagens has managed to generate both curiosity and controversy with his traveling Body Worlds exhibition, which showcases preserved human bodies and body parts. Now von Hagens is attempting to up the ante by posing the corpses in sexual positions, a move that is being protested in some countries.

Born in Skalmierzyce in 1945, von Hagens spent much of his youth in East Germany and later moved to Greiz, where he remained until his late teens. Von Hagens enrolled at the University of Jena in 1965. Following a brush with the law, von Hagens continued his medical studies in Lubeck, and in 1975, he received a doctorate from the University of Heidelberg.

In 1977, von Hagens invented a plastination technique used to preserve specimens for medical study. Von Hagen's Web site, bodyworlds.com, describes the process:

"In order to make a specimen permanent, decomposition must be halted.… By removing water and fats from the tissue and replacing these with polymers, the Plastination process deprives bacteria of what they need to survive. Bodily fluids cannot, however, be replaced directly with polymers, because the two are chemically incompatible.… Water in the tissues (which comprises approximately 70% of the human body) and fatty tissues are replaced with acetone, a solvent that readily evaporates. In the second step, the acetone is replaced with a polymer solution.… A specimen is placed in a vacuum chamber and the pressure is reduced to the point where the solvent boils. The acetone is suctioned out of the tissue at the moment it vaporizes, and the resulting vacuum in the specimen causes the polymer solution to permeate the tissue. This exchange process is allowed to continue until all of the tissue has been completely saturated."

Von Hagens initially used the plastination process to preserve small specimens; however, in the early 1990s, he began to plastinate whole bodies. Later, during the mid-1990s, Von Hagens developed the Body Worlds exhibit. Since that time, his specimens have been displayed at dozens of museums throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. The exhibits generally include about 25 whole-body plastinates, both human and animal, in various positions.

"We want to present to the public a comprehensive, multidisciplinary view of the various systems of the body," von Hagens is quoted as saying on the bodyworlds.com Web site.

The exhibits have been an obvious success, drawing nearly 30 million visitors to date; however, they have also caused a lot of controversy, resulting in laws being passed in the UK, Czech Republic, France and United States. Most of the laws control the transportation, sale, display and documentation of the human remains.

According to von Hagens, the bodies that he plastinated were donated, with each individual giving an informed consent. Despite these claims, in Jan. 2004, the German news magazine Der Spiegel reported that von Hagens had acquired corpses of executed prisoners from China. Von Hagens denied the allegations, and in 2004, he obtained an injunction against the magazine.

"I have never plastinated the bodies of executed persons, for, based on my ethical convictions, I disapprove of using such bodies for anatomical purposes," Dr. von Hagens said in a press release.

In addition to von Hagens' statements, an independent review of his practices that was launched by the California Science Center found that von Hagens was committed to ethical practices.

The center's report stated, "In March – April 2004, Dr. [Hans-Martin] Sass traveled to the Body Worlds' offices in Germany (Institut fuer Plastination [IfP] in Heidelberg) where he had extensive conferences with principal IfP staff, and reviewed body donor consent documentation. In addition he visited the Body Worlds exhibition in Frankfurt, Germany. On behalf of the Science Center, Dr. Sass reviewed all deceased body donor consent forms (206), matched the donor forms with death certificates, verified that the body specimens were properly donated for the purpose of public exhibition, and verified that the donor forms met established informed consent standards."

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So while an independent review found that von Hagens was not breaking any laws in obtaining his bodies, ethical controversies abound, especially those launched by religious groups, including some members of the Catholic Church, who object to the display of human remains.

"Whatever educational benefits there might be from this show cannot compensate for the lurid and morbid exploitation that is possible," the Archdiocese of Vancouver was cited as saying in a statement released to canada.com.

Similarly, last year the BBC reported that Anglican Bishop Nigel McCulloch of Manchester, England, condemned the displays as a "kind of freaky horror show."

Nonetheless, not all church members are offended by the displays, and the Education and Evangelization Department of the Diocese of Phoenix has found them to have "educative value."

Fast forward to today, and von Hagens again finds himself at the center of a controversy. This time it concerns the display of the plastinates in sexual positions.

"It's not my intention to show certain sexual poses. My goal is really to show the anatomy and the function," von Hagens' wife and Body Worlds' Creative Director Angelina Whalley said in an interview with Reuters.

The Swiss have reportedly granted von Hagens permission to proceed with the new show, and it could debut sometime next year.

According to gawker.com, von Hagens attempted to portray a male and female having sex in a previous show in Berlin, but lawmakers banned the display. In response, von Hagens claimed to have signed consent forms from the donors who had agreed to allow him to display their bodies in sexual positions.

No word yet on how the United States will view the displays.

So what do you think? Will von Hagens cross a line if he displays the plastinates in sexual positions, or will they serve to educate viewers about the human anatomy? Vote in the poll below and then share your comments.

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Related Links:
HowStuffWorks: What's Inside: Anatomy Channel
Science Channel Videos: How It's Made 5: Anatomical Models
Investigation Discovery: Interactives: Go Inside a Forensic Lab

Photo Credits: Exhibit: Mark Renders/Getty Images; Gunther von Hagens: Till Budde/Getty Images

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission from Discovery Communications. All quotes must include a link back.

Comments

[Law Chick]

That is the most disgusting thing I have ever heard of a human being doing. You would have to be nothing but mental to that! EW!

[Shoshanna]

Heh to each their own I have lived in Heidelberg and seen his other exhibition it was very informative and later on our anatomy professor made us go see it when it was in Mannheim.

People signing their bodies over to help others understand and learn about the human body is a pretty noble thing but heh, I guess now that I live in a country with more double standards then actual virtues everyone will be openly disgusted and then look for pictures of it on the internet. I admit the sexual positions could be a little over the top but in the end it is just science.

[Teresa]

Thats two questions so needs two answers. Yes, he will cross a line and NO, he will not educate.

[Will]

I found the one display of the unborn baby in the womb immoral. I'm sure he did not get that baby's consent. So a dead baby in a art like environment not a science environment. And now sex positions...

Glad I never paid to see the event the first time. Maybe people will draw the line at this.

[Sprocket]

I attended Body Worlds II in LA several years ago. It was fascinating and very educational.

[Tina]

I can see the education value in what they have done in the past, but I see little value in posing the cadavers in sexual positions.

[Andrew Cracker]

The dissection of cadavers was once seen as immoral and yet where would modern medicine be without a thorough understanding of anatomy and physiology? If proper consents have been obtained, I do not see the problem. If one believes they would be offended by this display then do not attend!!

[Safy]

I think this is great. I'll go see the show if it ever comes to Australia. I think there is a lot educational value in what he is doing. Even if it wasn't educational the people who donated the bodies have agreed so but out!!!

[cheryl]

Anyone who would pay to see cadavers posed in sexual positions is a weirdo. Cripes.

[Dan]

I find the concept very interesting and would go to see the regular displays, but have no interest in the sexual ones.

[Sprocket]

As a 20 year bodyworker, these displays were an amazing educational experience.

To actually get to see the muscles, tendowns and ligaments, as well as their origins and attachments very close and not behind a display case. The only thing that would be slightly similar would be an anatomy class with body disection.

Not only were the full body displays fascinating, but there was quite a bit of smaller display slides of cardiovascualr disease, what smoker's lungs look like, digestive diseases, breast cancer, etc. There were even displays showing how a hip replacement was done.

[K.B.]

I saw the exhibit in Baltimore several years ago.I found it very educational and interesting, especially the babies in the womb. It shows you the size of a fetuses growth from a couple of weeks on. This is science and anatomy however you wish to look at it. I think if the sexual positions is shown from a scientific perspective there is nothing wrong with it. We all came into the world this way.I think it is people's minds that are trying to make it dirty. It just depends on how you view it and how it is displayed. If you don't want to see it don't go.

[Lotti]

Because this Exhibition is now in Zürich, Gunther von Hagens was on local TV for a short interview. The most answers came from his girlfriend/manager/?/whatever, he was not really able to speak normal. There are not a lot of people, who can give me THE CREEPS by TV, but he SHURE DOES!