In vitro fertilisation

In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a technique in which egg cells are fertilized outside the woman's body. IVF is a major treatment in infertility where other methods of achieving conception have failed.

Ethics

Issues

Certain ethical issues have been raised from the beginning when IVF was introduced. These concerns include:

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• Bypassing the natural method of conception.
• Creating life in the laboratory.
• Fertilizing more embryos than will be needed.
• Discarding excess embryos.
• Unnatural environment for embryos.
• Using untested technology.
• Not affordable for many.
• Disallocation of medical resources.
• Contributes to overpopulation.
• Creating embryos, freezing them, and keeping them "in limbo".
• Exposing embryos to unnatural substances.
• Destroying embryos in research.
• Potential to create embryos for medical purposes.
• Potential to select embryos (PGD).
• Potential to modify embryos.

Separating the traditional mother-father model

The IVF process requires sperm, eggs, and a uterus. To achieve a pregnancy any of these requirements can be provided by a third party (or more parties): third party reproduction. This has created additional ethical and legal concerns.

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The use of IVF provides also greater range of options for single people and same-sex couples wishing to have children. Although both groups already raise children, IVF facilitates this process. Some people object that this could give psychological problems to the child if they grow up without a mother/father role-model.

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A number of cases have achieved notoriety:

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• In 2001, a French woman received worldwide publicity when she posed as the wife of her brother in order to give birth to a donor egg fertilized by his sperm. Some saw this as a form of incest; others thought it would prove psychologically unhealthy for the child when he learned how he was delivered; whereas other people simply couldn't see anything wrong with the situation.
• In a few cases laboratory mix-ups (misidentified gametes, transfer of wrong embryos) have occurred leading inadvertent third part reproduction. This led to complex paternity issues and legal action.

Pregnancy past menopause

While menopause has set a natural barrier to further conception, IVF has allowed women to be pregnant in their fifties and sixties. These women whose uterus has been appropriately prepared receive embryos that originated from an egg of an egg donor. Therefore, their children are not genetically linked to them. Even after menopause the uterus is fully capable to carry out its function. Currently, the oldest woman to give birth is Adriana Iliescu, age 66, from Romania.

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