What Is The Ethical Use Of In Vitro Fertilization

“The unexamined life is not worth living.” With these words, Socrates stated the creed of reflective men and women and set the task for ethics: to seek, with the help of reason, a consistent and defensible approach to life and its moral dilemmas (Walters 22). Ethical inquiry is important to us when we are unsure of the direction in which we are heading. “New philosophy calls all in doubt,” wrote John Donne in the wake of the Copernican Revolution and of Charles I’s violent death, suggesting that new thoughts had challenged old practices (Donne). Today, new practices in the biomedical sciences are challenging old thoughts: “New medicine calls all in doubt” (Walters 22).

As our contemporary world continues to progress in both the fields of biology and medicine, the use of assisted reproductive technologies, such as IVF, is increasing. The catholic church remains faithful towards the fundamental values of the sacredness of life and human dignity, which is evident in their firm, opposing responses and teachings on the moral issue of IVF.

In gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) a mixture of sperm and eggs is placed directly into a woman’s fallopian tubes using laparoscopy following a transvaginal ovum retrieval.

In this day and age several factors have changed the definition of a family. We live in a time where careers, education, and work are now put before starting a family, making it more difficult to have children. The traditional family archetype has changed with a rise in single and homosexual parenting. This change, even though it is a positive one, can result in several people being unable to have children. Infertility treatments have become a popular option for these people who cannot have children. These treatments have become popular in books, movies, and other forms which has brought attention to the ethics of the practices. The ethics of these treatments are challenged by the health risks on people seeking treatments and their

The process of IVF involves mixing the woman’s egg and the man’s sperm outside of the woman’s body, usually in a petri dish. Invitro fertilisation literally means ‘fertilisation in glassware’. If the fertilisation is successful, the formed embryo is transferred to

How can the principles of ethics (autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice) assist in finding a middle ground on new reproductive technologies?

Many individuals are looking to alternatives in child bearing, In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) being one of the most popular. IVF in the United States is a costly procedure. It can cost up to $12,000 for one attempt and that is not adding the cost of additional attempts should the first one fail. There are individuals who are in debt for $60,000 in attempting to get pregnant through IVF. Fertility treatments are now a hot commodity, especially in the global marketplace. Many women are looking to oversea options in having IVF done. One major factor in women going overseas is the price tag. IVF overseas is about ¼ of the price it is in the US.

As stated earlier, Christians must evaluate the different methods of medical technology in order to identify the moral and ethical ramifications of certain medical procedures. I believe that any procedure that forces a couple to decide what is to be done with “leftover” embryos should not be used. However, there are some procedures such as IUI and IVF that utilize

In the article “Selecting the Perfect Baby: The Ethics of “Embryo Design,” is an article about a married couple, name Larry and June Shannon. They have a daughter, four years old, name Sally, who is diagnosed with Fanconi Anemia. Therefore, the Shannons are getting help from a research team, to find the perfect bone marrow transplant for Sally. The Shannon couple is also interested in having another child and they are aware of the risks and odds of success. However, a PGD process has to be performed and the couple must undergo an IVF procedure more than once, before the implantation is successful, to be able to produce a healthy full-term baby.

Pozgar and Santucci in their book titled Legal and Ethical Issues for Health Professionals covers artificial insemination, test tube babies and sterilization but no where did they dare to touch the in vitro process, I reviewed several books regarding the law and ethics in healthcare and none of the authors really ventured to give an opinion which led me straight to the ethics committee of the reproduction where we could obtain this information in its entirety. Not taking anything away from the other authors, there is not a lot of information available because of so many new procedures being introduced. The one thing that was consistent was the bill of patient’s

There are people around the world trying to have children right now, that cannot and need to use services like reproductive technology to even have the chance of a little one in their future. NRTs are one thing that can help, and it is moving forward with the advancements in technology and science. With this huge advancement in technology and science, many people are starting to question if these procedures are ethical. There are four principles of ethics. These principles are autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice. Applying these principles of ethics to new reproductive technologies can

In vitro fertilization and human embryonic stem cell research are two of the most popular and controversial topics that are being discussed today. Lee Silver, from the film defines in vitro fertilization as:

The author of this paper has selected a health care colleague Mrs. T.R, to interview on the ethical beliefs, philosophy and worldview about the in-vitro fertilization, embryo harvesting and posthumous conception. Mrs. T.R, was born and brought up in an Indian Hindu family and immigrated to USA in 2000. She is working as a Registered Nurse in Illinois. She has conceived a child using In Vitro Fertilization, because she was diagnosed with Breast Cancer at the age of 27. The interview responses of Mrs. T.R, to the questions regarding Embryo Harvesting and Freezing, and rights of children born to posthumous conception in the light of Supreme Court ruling on the Karen Capato Case, are summarized in this paper.

Regulation on IVF and other fertility services is necessary. The procedures being done are medical, psychological, and controversial enough to receive federal attention. When a human being is made in a lab, laws need to exist in case a couple divorces, changes their mind, or to prevent immoral decisions in the future. Becoming a parent is an understandable human right, nonetheless the desire of conceiving a child of one’s own can get out of hand. Yearning can lead to selfish decision making. Customers in the fertility clinics are desperate and will do anything they can to have a

Sarah, being born and raised in a strong bible based home believes in the living accordingly to the natural law God has set for all those walking the Earth He created. After several years of trying to conceive a child naturally, they unfortunately have not been successful in doing so. With a number of options available it is important to explore the alternate choices for the couple. In Vitro Fertilization or IVF is one assisted reproductive technology that may be put into play. IVF involves combining the female eggs and male sperm outside the body and into a laboratory. Once an embryo or multiple embryos form, they are then placed in the woman’s uterus. With Sarah’s belief she is not in agreement to go through with this reproductive procedure.