Couples facing infertility must closely explore their ethics as they face the challenges of infertility.
Making decisions about when and begin a family are common for most people. But for people facing infertility, the task of family building becomes complex. The currently available assisted reproductive treatment options can challenge the values and ethical beliefs of all that are involved in the process.
Definitions
Infertility treatment redefines identify families.
Infertility treatment has created new definitions for parent, child and family. A surrogate mother can carry a child that came from a donor egg and sperm. That child has three mothers: a surrogate, biological and a parent. Leroy Walters, Director of the Center for Bioethics at the Kennedy Institute for Ethics says, "New possibilities for donation of eggs or embryos or gestational mothers may also require a rethinking of conventional notions of 'family.' "
Legal Considerations
Courts are reluctant to legislate infertility treatment.
Most infertility specialists agree that the technology of assisted reproductive treatment has far exceeded its ethical and legal aspects. Creating laws for technology that has not been developed is impossible. Laws regarding infertility treatment vary between states. The medical governing body offering guidelines for infertility treatment is the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). Any guidelines ASRM makes have no legal standing. Their infertility treatment recommendations help create medical standards for medical practitioners. One court in New York, describing the difficulty of legislating infertility treatment, said, "These are intensely personal and essentially private matters, which are appropriately resolved by the prospective parents rather than the courts."
Medical Ethics
Doctors face difficult choices.
Doctors that specialize in infertility treatment face challenging ethical questions about patient treatment. They're under pressure to produce statistics showing the highest possible pregnancy and birth rates. This affects their choices regarding patient treatments. Dr. Stephen R. Lincoln says, "The dilemmas I face include whether to proceed with treatments when the chances of success appear to be extremely remote, and other options such as donor egg, adoption or stopping treatment do not appear to be acceptable to patients." Dr. Lincoln is board-certified in reproductive endocrinology and infertility and practices at the Genetics and IVF Institute.
Significance of Religion
Religion influences ethical beliefs.
Religious beliefs and values can play a part in your thoughts regarding infertility. The Vatican issued a statement on bioethics saying, "The church also objects to freezing embryos, arguing that doing so exposes them to potential damage and manipulation...and that it raises the problem of what to do with frozen embryos that are not implanted." Orthodox Jewish theologians are against surrogacy and using donors when contracts and money are exchanged in conjunction with human reproduction. The balancing of religious beliefs with the strong desire to have a child can be difficult. Many people consult their religious leaders to help clarify their religious philosophy to carefully define their moral and ethical beliefs.
Solutions
The way you build your family is ultimately your choice.
The ethical considerations of infertility treatment are impossibly intertwined with personal, religious, medical and moral beliefs. There are no easy answers. These decisions are of the most personal nature and are yours to make. If you do undergo infertility treatment, it will include medical and, perhaps, legal professionals. Seek the spiritual and religious guidance you need to help you face your choices. Remember, no matter who you are, the issues relating to the ethics of infertility will be thought-provoking and challenging.
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