The idea of life at conception

[Wiz in Wis]

Thought-experiment.

Technically, both the egg and sperm cells are "alive" as defined by the definition of a cell. Mono-cell organisms are clearly "alive" and therefore, both the sperm and egg are living beings as well. We don't consider them to have rights, as they have very short lifespans (at least the sperm do), and do not grow into full humans on their own. However, the idea that life begins at conception is technically wrong. Life exists through conception, it is simply a transformation between two completely random interacting human cells.

The question you really need to ask is "when do people intrinsically have rights?" At the moment that the sperm and egg merge, some time after but before birth, or only upon birth? Secondarily, at what point does the right of the mother to agency over her body, and the chemicals she ingests, become secondary to that of the fetus?

I'm not saying I have a clear answer, but I think the framing is wrong. "Life" doesn't begin at conception, it changes. Rights and agency are the topic at hand.