Tag Archives: IVF

The Ethics of Uterine Transplant in Absolute Uterine Factor Infertility: A Review of Uterine Transplant Today from the Lens of the Belmont Report

Posted on by

Abstract

The miracle of childbirth and childrearing has been apparent since the beginning of time. Most women can birth children, and consequently, it is distressing for those who suffer from infertility. Medicine and research have advanced to provide relief from this type of suffering. Previously, absolute uterine factor infertility, or absence of a uterus, has been untreatable. However, advances in surgical and transplant techniques have made uterus transplantation a possibility for this type of infertility. Many risks are involved for women and children throughout the transplantation, pregnancy, and birthing process. As scientists, medical professionals, and Christians, we must ask, do the ends justify the means? This article will review the promises, perils, science, and current statistics of uterine transplantation from the specific view of research ethics. It will analyze the ethical permissibility or impermissibility of continuing research or approving this type of infertility treatment from the lens of the Belmont Report, with additional attention to the Montreal Criteria, traditional transplant ethics, the epistemology of science, the purpose of medicine, the particular view of Christian bioethics, and biomedical ethics. After reviewing these methods with statistical analysis of current research data, it will be perceptible from all presented views, with special attention to the research lens of the Belmont Report and Christian bioethics, that they do not permit uterine transplantation.

Keywords: AUFI, Biomedical Ethics, Christian Bioethics, Infertility, IVF, Medical Ethics, Transplant Ethics, Reproduction, Uterus, Organ Transplantation.

The Moral Status of the Embryo in the Ethical Debate over In Vitro Fertilization

Posted on by

Abstract

On February 29, 2024, the Alabama State Legislature raised a national debate over the ethics of In Vitro Fertilization. The Los Angeles Times on March 4 declared the law’s assumption that the embryo is a person (and by extension would have moral status) must be opposed because it stifles the right of women to have abortions and use IVF. In this paper I argue that an embryo has moral status based on what I call its “organic destiny,” which reveals its goodness of existence. I explain this according to the inner directivity of biological life to mature through the stages of being an embryo, newborn, toddler, to adulthood. The biggest ethical problem with the procedure of IVF is what to do with the leftover embryos not used in the process. IVF per se does not necessarily overlook the moral status of the embryo, but to discard the leftovers because they are now superfluous would overlook and disrespect their moral status. Thus, for the procedure of IVF to recognize ethically the moral status of the embryo, it should proceed with only one embryo at a time.

Keywords: In Vitro Fertilization, Moral Status, Embryo, Organic Destiny, Aristotle, Bible