In Vitro Fertilization

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In Vitro Fertilization

With the commencement of wedding vows comes the anticipation of creating a family. Unfortunately, for a myriad of diverse individuals, infertility is an issue that must be dealt with. Suddenly the capability of conceiving a child becomes a dire hardship, and the couple may grow to be so desperate for a child, that they look into other means of conceiving. In vitro fertilization has become such a huge breakthrough in modern technology. However, the ethical (and legal) implications of in vitro fertilization have placed many concerns on the interests of the potential child. The end result could be that in vitro is not in the best interests of the child.

Over the past few centuries modern technology has grown to such a huge degree that now creating a baby has become genetically possible (Laing, 1998). These are possible with such processes as cloning or in vitro fertilization. In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a “procedure whereby human babies are conceived, not in the womb but in a test tube or a Petri dish” (Stone, 2007).

The birth of Louise Brown in 1978, made it possible for human reproduction “without sex, but also made it possible for a woman to gestate and give birth to a child to whom she had no genetic relationship” (Annas, 2001). Since this procedure has become a major development in our society great concern should be noted because, according to author Annas, “society continues to wrestle with fundamental issues involving this method of reproduction.”

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In vitro fertilization is morally unethical. If you think about it-normal pregnancy comes from intercourse, resulting in an egg being released from an ovary and uniting with a sperm in a fallopian tube. However, during the process of IVF, this union occurs in a laboratory where “women are usually implanted with several embryos in order to increase their chance of conception” (Jones, 2004). The chance of conception can lead to multiple, triple or even higher rates of births and birth defects. Many babies born earlier than their due date are considered premature and therefore have a myriad of disabilities, which in turn can lead to high medical bills.

Hence, the children born into this world via in vitro fertilization bring about many ethical and religious concerns. One such concern is how technologists behave as though embryos are “just commodities, to be created, maintained and destroyed (if "unfit for their purpose") to satisfy the desires of desperate couples” (Laing, 1998). The in vitro fertilization as stated by Jones allows “the termination of one or more embryos or fetuses during the first trimester to improve the odds that the others will be born healthy”.

Additionally, allowing in vitro fertilization to take place same sex couples now have an option on how to conceive. Another concern is how gamete donation can essentially lead to role abandonment, both emotionally and financially, for their children (Laing, 1998). What would society do then? Sadly enough the child can eventually end up in many devastating situations; ie, foster care, welfare and even be adopted out.

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Questionable practices about the use of in vitro fertilization have come to light in the past years. These practices look into commercial and scientific merits. Astonishingly, according to Laing,

a British bio-technology expert and pioneer has inseminated human eggs into rabbits and monkeys in an effort to fertilise them there. He and others have called for further experimentation with human embryos in pigs, sheep and rabbits. Rats' ova have been crossed with human sperm. Hamster tests, are often used in IVF programmes.

The author Laing also states that “it is now possible to freeze gametes and embryos and, consequently, to create human beings whose parents are long dead”. In addition embryo’s can be frozen. Author Stone states that “doctors routinely create more embryos than they implant in a woman's uterus for use later.”

Quite interestingly abuse in the IVF world occurs too. Test-tube mix ups can occur and produce different outcomes. This happened once to a “white couple after going through the IVF procedure; they gave birth to a black baby girl. The couple decided to sue because they were not happy with their product” (Laing, 1998).

Kass, a physician and professor argues that “genetic engineering will slowly erode human dignity”. Infertility has put many people in a predicament since the beginning of time. For example, in Genesis Chapter 15 it explains how Abraham and Sarah were unable to have