The use of IVF procedures raise a number of ethical issues, starting with the issues related to the origin of the egg and sperm, to those relating to the fate and the number of embryos. One of the biggest ethical concerns of this procedure is the origin of the egg. As mention before, during in vitro fertilization treatment, the retrieved eggs are combined with the sperm for fertilization. The fact that fertilization happens outside the body with no emotional-physical union between couples is one main argument. Since only the physical aspect of reproduction is taken into consideration, most people against this have seen this process of conceiving as unnatural and as a threat to the family unity. Most religious group supports this view point. The Catholic Church, for example, argues that only God is the center of creation; he designed the way children should be conceived, and no one should alter his creation. They also refer to sex selection by doctors, which is one of special in vitro fertilization procedures, as they are “playing God.”
Another ethical concern is related to the subsequent treatment of the egg and embryo. The in vitro fertilization procedure goal is to retrieve and fertilize enough eggs in order to establish a good pregnancy. Most often, not all of those embryos are used during treatment; some are frozen for later use. Other embryos are donated, used for research, or discarded and sometimes destroyed by selective pregnancy reduction. Any of these alternatives raise a number of ethical issues. Since 1970, more than 500,000 frozen embryos are stored with 20,000 embryos extra each year and most of them will not be used (Clark, 2009, p. 2). For some people, destroying these embryos constitutes an act of murder because t...
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... to spontaneous pregnancy loss compare to 2.5 percent of pregnancy loss following twin reduction (Mcclimans, 2009, p. 295-303).
It is also important to mention that in vitro fertilization cycle is so expensive and few heath insurances covert it. Therefore, limiting a number of embryo transfers can be a problem to those participants whose desire are to have more than one child but do not have enough money to sponsor each cycle. A study published in New England journal of medicine in 2002 found that the rate of multiple pregnancies with triplets or more increase in states where in vitro fertilization procedure is not covered (RESOLVE, 2013). David Orentlcher claims that “lack of coverage of in vitro fertilization treatment constitutes unfair discrimination against infertility person.” Therefore, restriction of number of embryo should be coupled with insurance coverage
A recent Court of Appeal ruling looked at preimplantation and IVF selection and how it was possibly going to be prohibited in the UK. Therefore, there are many factors that need to be discussed to whether or not it should be outlaw...
Couples experiencing infertility issues now have a number of options at their disposal from in-vitro fertilization to intrauterine insemination or going as far as using a surrogate and donor eggs or donor sperm. Technology has made it possible for someone to experience the joy of parenthood regardless of whether they can naturally conceive children. All of these procedures come with their own ethical questions and pros and cons. One of the biggest moral dilemmas is what to do with the left-over embryos still in storage when a family has decided they have had enough children. Most couples see this ethical quandary because they recognize that the embryos are whole human beings and do not think it is morally right to dispose
For many years, infertile couples have had difficulty facing the reality that they can not have children. According to Nidus Information Services Incorporated, 6.2 million women in the United States are infertile. This problem leads to many options. A few options have been used for a long period of time: the couple could adopt a child or keep trying to have a child themselves. For those couples that want to have their own children, there are new options arising. In vetro fertilization is an option that gives couples the chance to have a doctor combine the male's sperm and the woman's eggs in a petri dish and implant them into the woman's womb after the artificial conception. This may result in multiple pregnancies - more than five in some cases. This does not only occur in implantation, however. Many times the patient's doctor will ask her to consider selective reduction: aborting a few fetuses to save the ones she can. In a case of multiple pregnancy, selective reduction should be considered an option.
With the increased rate of integrating In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), there has been a steep inclination within the associated needs of specifications. Observably, the development of babies using scientific measures was initially formulated and specified for developing the diverse range of development associated with the same (Turriziani, 2014). However, these developments are noted to be creating an adverse impact on the natural course of events and subsequently, resulting with an adverse impact on the natural process of the development of babies. The initial integrations within the system of IVF for developing babies have further been initiated with the effective use of science to develop a healthy baby. Hence, the use of such progressions can be argued as not hampering the ethical needs associated with the same. Conversely, the initial progression within the same and the changes in the use of such practices are identified as unethical, as it has been acting as a threat in the natural course of development of embryos and altering the natural course of events, suspected to be imposing significant influence on infant mortality (Turriziani,
Infertility is the inability to conceive any children after 12 months of trying to conceive after having unprotected sex. The infertility condition can be present in both partners. The cause may be physical, including immature sexual organs, abnormalities of the reproductive system, hormonal imbalance, and dysfunction or abnormalities in other organ systems, or it may result from psychologic or emotional problems. There are treatments for men or women like drugs, assisted reproductive technology, in vitro fertilization (IVF), artificial insemination, and surgery.
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is a complex series of procedures used to help those who want children but struggle with infertility. The process consists of extracting eggs from a woman and collecting a man’s sperm sample then manually combining them in a lab dish. Once the embryo(s) are created they are transferred to a woman’s uterus. IVF is commonly used in woman who cannot conceive on their own due to different reasonings. “These include but are not limited to blocked or damaged fallopian tubes, male factor infertility, woman with ovulation disorders, genetic disorders, woman who have had their fallopian tubes removed and unexplained infertility.” (American Pregnancy)
Cross culturally fertility and childbearing are a major concern due to the significance of passing on heritage, family names, and values to the next generation. Additionally, in many cultures the children are responsible for the care of their parents when they become elderly. Infertility is a universal concern in both Western and developing countries. It is estimated that up to 168 million people across the globe are affected with infertility. The bulk of these cases reside within developing countries (Vayena & Rowe, 2002). When couples are having trouble conceiving a child it is a source of distress for both partners (Helman, 2007, p. 176). This distress can be manifested in a variety of ways that adversely affect the family structure.
“IVF Patient Numbers and Success Rates Continue to Rise." Human Fertlisation & Embryology Authority. Dec. 2007. .
In 2000 the United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA) defined reproductive rights as "the basic rights of couples and individuals to decide freely and responsibly the number, spacing and timing of their children; to have the information and means to do so; and to have the right to make decisions concerning reproduction, free of discrimination, coercion or violence."[1] Traditionally society defines reproductive rights in the context of one's being able to make decisions about his or her own reproduction; other individuals, unrelated to that person, were not considered as being involved in the decision. With the onset of in vitro fertilization (IVF) in 1978, reproductive processes have become more complicated. For example, in gestational surrogacy a surrogate mother, not genetically related to the embryo, is brought into the process of reproduction. This technique allows infertile couples to carry a child or children in the womb of a carrier, rather than in the womb of the biological mother.[2] As a result of this ethically controversial technology, society must modify its reproductive rights. In vitro fertilization (IVF) alone will not solve people's reproductive problems and protect everybody's rights. Society, therefore, must distinguish whose rights-the rights of biological parents or those of the surrogate mothers-should be protected.
Foht, Brendan P. "Three-Parent Embryos Illustrate Ethical Problems with Technologies." Medical Ethics, edited by Noël Merino, Greenhaven Press, 2015. Current Controversies. Opposing Viewpoints in Context,
Fertilization is a very important aspect in a human life. Without fertilization, human cannot reproduce and no offspring will be produced. This means that the human race will be completely wiped out in more or less a century. So when there is a problem in the human fertility, it is very important to have a solution to overcome this problem.
Abortion may appear ethical or unethical depending on various viewpoints and circumstances. The fetus is considered a person and bringing it to term may be unethical as the act is considered as murder. In some situations, the mother may require to terminate a pregnancy for her bodily autonomy (Johnston, 2003). In such positions, the resolution to terminate a pregnancy may be argued as the most ethical choice. The mother is also considered to having a reasonable level of ethical responsibility to the fetus, because she did not take enough precaution to ensure avoiding conception (Cline, 2014). The mother’s ethical responsibility to the fetus may not be enough to deprive her choice of abortion; it...
An important scientific argument for IVF is that, by studying fertilization and early embryonic development outside the womb, scientists might learn more about how to prevent certain birth defects (1). This proves that IVF could actually make improvements in medical advances, especially in regards to prenatal care. This is just one example of how IVF can actually be beneficial to the community. The only times that babies are malformed or sick are when the mother puts more than one baby in her uterus. Multiple fetuses increase the chance of birth defects because they have a greater chance of preterm birth, which is associated with long-term health. The long-term illnesses are cerebral palsy, mental illness, and blindness (Reddy 1). With this in mind, having single births is very safe and those babies are still healthy today, just like Sarah and Maggie Marshall’s baby. Single births are also very highly recommended by medical personnel. Going back to the first test tube baby the Browns were expecting, and Steptoe (the doctor) thought that this baby would be a failure. When they did a cesarean on July 25, 1978, a beautiful baby girl was born at 5 pounds and 12 ounces. After the baby was born, the doctor recalled that
It is possible for pregnant women to lose one twin in a miscarriage but still carry the second child to full term without any damage resulting to it. This has happened rather frequently. “Whether all these twins born far apart were identical or fraternal is not known. However, these twins are all “ordinary” in the sense that they were carried in one womb” (Gaddis, Vincent & Margaret, 1972 (pp. 35-36).
To start this off, conception is the action of conceiving a child, and pregnancy is the period from conception to birth. They both share the same meaning: the process of getting pregnant. Conception happens when a sperm penetrates on one of the female’s eggs. Then, at around day 14 of a 28 day cycle, the egg leaves the ovary, and it is surrounded by a protective layer of cells. The fallopian tube is lined with cilia, which helps move the egg towards the womb. This is called ovulation. In the next 12-24 hours, the egg waits to be fertilized by a single sperm. The sperm then swims through the womb to meet the egg in the fallopian tube. And the sperm secretes enzymes to help penetrate the outer layer of the egg. Once the