Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Ethical and moral issues of ivf
Essay on ethical issues of IVF
Ethical and moral issues of ivf
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Ethical and moral issues of ivf
The process of getting pregnant is one of wondrous measures. Having a family is one of the first human rights—not law—that we learn as kids, but there are many instances to where some are not able to conceive as easy as others. In such instances, there is a solution that women can undergo to have the family they have dreamed of. The solution: In-Vitro Fertilization, otherwise known as IVF therapy. IVF is one way of having a family of your own; however, an emotional debate has attended the question of whether health insurance should cover the cost of In-Vitro Fertilization for infertile couples. Some private health plans have opted to cover IVF, although most have not. Ten states have mandated that it be included or offered as a standard benefit for private health insurance plans. If insurance providers choose to offer benefits for infertility treatments, some of those costs could be mitigated and the treatment may be more accessible.
In 1939, the first IVF was conducted on rabbits, hamsters, and mice; however, IVF was seen as impossible on a human and was regarded with incredulity into scientific and medical practices across the country. In 1978, the world witnessed the birth of the first “test tube baby,” Louise Brown (Zhao, Brezina, Hsu, Garcia, and Wallch, 2011).
In less than two decades, In-Vitro Fertilization has progressed from the realm of science fiction to become a regularly performed treatment for couples experiencing persistent fertility problems. The procedure is now performed over 50,000 times a year in some three hundred facilities in the United States .Ten states have mandated its inclusion as a standard benefit for private health insurance plans.
In vitro fertilization has always occupied a special place in healt...
... middle of paper ...
... who has access, and what restrictions, if any, should apply. Because of the costly treatment and failure for most insurance companies to grant coverage for infertility, many couples are not able to have their own children since this is something that has to be paid out of the pocket. Furthermore, even though there has been past controversial issues with the treatment using IVF, it is a safe procedure today—with some complications, such as twins being born—and with the scientific, medical, and technological advances that we have in the 21st century; people trust this method as safe and effective. Everybody deserves to have a family. And for some—IVF is the only solution next to adoption. The United States must recognize the degree in which this problem effects their citizens and see that with help of insurance coverage, lives can be changed and lives can be made.
“IVF Patient Numbers and Success Rates Continue to Rise." Human Fertlisation & Embryology Authority. Dec. 2007. .
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,
The advancement and continued developments of third-party assisted reproductive medical practices has allowed many prospective parents, regardless of their marital status, age, or sexual orientation, to have a new opportunity for genetically or biologically connected children. With these developments come a number of rather complex ethical issues and ongoing discussions regarding assisted reproduction within our society today. These issues include the use of reproductive drugs, gestational services such as surrogacy as well as the rights of those seeking these drugs and services and the responsibilities of the professionals who offer and practice these services.
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.
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)
Many couples who cannot have their own children are patiently waiting for a child to be adopted, and abortions are taking away that opportunity from willing families. The other side of this controversy is called pro-choice. Pro-choice followers believe, as implied by the name, that a woman’s right to choose is more important than anything, even human life. The Roe vs Wade case of 1973 is the building block of their side of the argument, the ruling being “the right to privacy.” is enough protection to defend a woman’s reproductive rights (Roe v Wade 1973).
For most of people, the only way to conceive a child is through sexual intercourse between a man and a woman by contributing the egg and the sperm into a woman’s womb. In a common practice, this is the only way on how to conceive a child. However, since the growing of time, with parenthood changing all thanks to the assisted reproductive technology (ART), the usual norm of conceiving a child has changed dramatically over the past decades. Lewis Vaughn describes this process to “address the agonizing problem of infertility and the powerful desire that many people have for their children of their own, especially children with whom they have a biological link” (Vaughn 392). The methods of reproductive technology is always understood under the scientific world, nonetheless, it remains a controversial topic within people.
The use of fertility treatments in recent years has been accompanied by an increase in the number of multiple births seen annually. The twin birth rate has increased by 59% since 1980, and the triplet and higher order multiples birth rate is up 423% (Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughter’s, 2004). There are two main forms of assisted reproductive therapy (ART) that are used currently. These are ovulation induction using fertility drugs alone and In vitro fertilization (IVF).
Despite the fact that the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) has formally defined infertility as a “disease,” most managed-care insurance plans still do not cover fertility treatments, such as intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF). Some states have mandated that insurers pay for necessary fertility treatment, but at this time, Louisiana’s fertility insurance laws are somewhat more limited.
The battle for women’s reproductive rights is similar to the struggle for African Americans to have “the full liberty of speech in public and private” as Dredd Scott found out in 1865 when he petitioned for his personal freedom from slavery and lost. Moreover women’s reproductive rights are akin to defending the rights of racial equality, civil rights, desegregation, same sex marriage, and universal human rights. Every individual should have the right to choose how to live his or her private life in today’s society without governmental interference or control.
With so many women choosing to have abortions, it would be expected that it would not be so greatly frowned up, yet society is still having problems with its acceptance. Every woman has the fundamental right to decide for herself, free from government interference, whether or not to have an abortion. Today, more than ever, American families do not want the government to trample on their right to privacy by mandating how they must decide on the most intimate, personal matters. That is why, even though Americans may differ on what circumstances for terminating a crisis pregnancy are consistent with their own personal moral views, on the fundamental question of who should make this personal decision, the majority of Americans agree that each woman must have the right to make this private choice for herself. Anti-choice proposals to ban abortions for “sex-selection” or “birth-control” are smokescreens designed to shift the focus of the debate away from this issue and trivialize the seriousness with which millions of women make this highly personal decision. Any government restriction on the reasons for which women may obtain legal abortions violates the core of this right and could force all women to publicly justify their reasons for seeking abortion.
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
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
"The Costs of Infertility Treatment." RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association. Family Building Magazine/WIN Fertility, 2006. Web
According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, “the twin birth rate has increased by over 75% since 1980, and triplet, quadruplet, and high-order multiple births have increased at an even higher rate. There are more multiple births today in part because more women are receiving infertility treatment.” In the future when people who aren’t infertile are having multiple births, the population could expand drastically. With infertility and genetic disease eliminated, the proliferation of IVF and multiple births could cause an uncontrolled spike in the population. In our society, the last thing needed is millions of children born into rich families because of IVF and