Assisted reproductive
technologies include diverse treatments developed and applied for the purpose
of overcoming infertility, whose causes may be hormonal or structural (e.g.,
the absence of a uterus), medical (genetic or other diseases that make it
difficult to conceive or to carry a pregnancy to term), or social (single parents
or same-sex couples). They include artificial insemination, in-vitro
fertilization, preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), surrogacy, various
medical and hormonal treatments, and more.
Selected ethical issues:
- Fetus
selection and genetic enhancement.
- Social
pressure to conceive, physical harm caused to the woman’s body and
psychological burden on parents.
- Commercialization
of reproductive cells and organs (sperm, eggs, uterus).
- Surplus
embryos (donation for reproduction / donation for research / destruction).
- Undermining
the traditional family structure.
- Objectification
and exploitation of a woman’s body to realize someone else’s aspiration to be a
parent (surrogacy).
- (In)justice – (un)equal access to assisted reproductive
technology, in view of high costs and social discrimination (e.g., against
same-sex couples).
Sources:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/assisted%20reproductive%20technology
https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/infertility/conditioninfo/treatments/Pages/art.aspx#ART
https://www.thehastingscenter.org/briefingbook/assisted-reproduction/
https://medlineplus.gov/assistedreproductivetechnology.html