Comments related to the ethics of invitrofertilization or IVF
Compare the natural way of procreation to In Vitro Fertilization’s way of reproduction.
In the natural process of having babies a husband loves his wife, the wife submits to the advances of her husband and they share an intimate sexual union that results in the conception of a loved child in the supportive environment of the mothers fallopian tube and then in her womb. This child is with the mother from the very beginning, nurtured by the mother’s very life blood.… Read the rest
With issues like In Vitro Fertilization, vital organ transplantation, and genetic manipulation, it is tempting to focus on the outcome, of a beautiful healthy baby, of a child revived to life or of avoiding having a child with life long illness. In spite of questions about the technology, the Lord has certainly answered much prayer. The Lord, the author of life, is one who gives life to a beautiful baby. The Lord, in whom we live and have our being, certainly, is the one who sustains the life of our child. … Read the rest
Why write on personhood? When thinking on personhood, I am considering what it is to be a person. How do we defined a person?
Is a person an integrated body-soul or is a person, in some way, separate from the body they inhabit? This, I believe, is a very important question when considering considering issues like, organ donation, In Vitro Fertilization, abortion and euthanasia.
For vital organs to be harvested for donation, they must be alive. Living organs are only found in living bodies. … Read the rest
Prior to 2012 whether IVF was associated with a higher incident of birth defects was controversial. In 2012, a study was released demonstrating there is indeed a higher incidence of birth defects reported in children born by IVF compared to those born by natural conception. In 2016 another study has been published coming to the same conclusion. Now those who promote IVF, instead of questioning its association with birth defects, focus on the relatively low incidence of defects.
Below is an excerpt on this issue from the IVF chapter in my book, questioning medical technologies.… Read the rest