What is ART?
ART describes a range of infertility treatments. Through drugs, laboratory techniques, and even the use of sperm or egg donors, men and women can be helped to bring about sperm production, ovulation, fertilization, implantation, conception, and birth.
Why you may need ART?
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If you or your partner has problems with any stage in the chain of events leading to a healthy baby, you may need ART. Possible difficulties include failure to produce normal, active sperm, failure to ovulate, and failure of healthy sperm to penetrate and fertilize an egg.
Ethical considerations
The science of ART raises enormous ethical questions that affect the individual, the couple, the family, the community, and society. Most of us would say that if this technology helps a couple who are desperate for a child but have fertility problems, it is morally acceptable. But each situation can be complicated by experience, cultural background, the law, and religious teaching.
Remember, though, ethics is not an exact science. There is no absolute moral right and wrong. To impose a moral imperative unwillingly on another person is nothing less than tyranny and flies in the face of enhancing the moral dignity of a couple and their children.
Discussing alternatives
Each member of a couple has a unique perspective and interest. In addition, there are the interests of the potential child to consider. I don't feel that doctors have the right to question a couple who opt for treatment for infertility. To my mind, the only option is to offer the couple expert counselling so they can discuss alternatives like adoption and the use of donor sperm or eggs.
It's important for specialists to understand that an infertile couple are in a vulnerable position and need impeccable investigation and therapy.
Contentious issues
Most people agree that there is no moral problem with ART using the sperm and eggs of partners, the only objection being from the Roman Catholic Church. The use of donor eggs, sperm, or even embryos, however, is highly sensitive. Opponents say it violates marriage vows and blurs a child's genetic makeup, but evidence points to a reassuring track record for such children. In the UK the children now have the right to learn the names of donors when they reach 18, if they choose.
Cryopreservation (freezing of donor sperm or pre-embryos)
This is another area of concern. Despite religious opposition, cryopreservation has proved to be very useful in improving pregnancy rates while avoiding multiple pregnancies. It's worth remembering that most moral arguments against it object only to the fact that some pre-embryos will not survive. In principle, cryopreservation preserves individual human life.
Medical risks of ART
- high rate of multiple pregnancies (15 per cent)
- high rate of ectopic pregnancies (4 per cent)
- high rate of complications (15 per cent)
- high rate of premature births (20 per cent)
- high rate of Caesarean sections (15 per cent).
Moments of strain
- During ovarian stimulation anxiety about techniques and the hormonal effects can lead to fear and tension, which constrains sexual needs.
- During laboratory investigation couples fear that embryos might get mixed up or damaged.
- After embryo transfer there may be worry about implantation problems or other complications.
Posted 16.11.2010
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