Assisted Reproductive Technology Is An Impressive Scientific Advancement, But Is It Ethical and Accessible?
Assisted Reproductive Technology (A.R.T.) is one of modern science’s most novel and interesting advancements. It refers to all technology where gametes are manipulated outside the body but does not include technology where only spermatozoa are manipulated. In-vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF & ET) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) are the most well-known and frequently used forms of A.R.T. Other such forms of A.R.T include: gamete intrfallopian transfer (GIFT), pronucleate or zygote intra-fallopian transfer (PROT, ZIFT), round nuclei injection (ROSNI) or spermatid injection, and assisted hatching.
A.R.T. provides opportunities for those who cannot or have difficulty conceiving naturally and can be a great resource for same-sex couples since IVF can be done using your own egg or sperm or that of a donor and may also be used by those with serious genetic disorders who wish to avoid passing them on to their children. Finally, it can be used by individuals who have previously frozen their eggs. All of that said, the technology is not very accessible. It is very costly, can take a physical and/or mental toll on the individual using it, and is not guaranteed to work. Further, there are more sustainable ways to become a parent as there are thousands of children within Canada, nay, worldwide, who are waiting to be adopted into a home.
A.R.T. is meant to give those who cannot conceive naturally a chance at being pregnant, but given that it is incredibly expensive, the treatments are still inaccessible to individuals of lower economic status. “The approximate cost for one cycle of IVF ranges between $7,750 – $12,250 CAD.” Even still, while it is possible to succeed with only one round of IVF (especially for patients under 35 who still have a plentiful egg supply) oftentimes it can take two or three (or more) rounds to produce results. And sometimes IVF treatments will never yield any results. “The live birth rates per embryo transfer cycle among fresh IVF treatment cycles…were: 41% for women under 35 years old 30% for women aged 35-39 years, 14% for women 40 years old and over. The live birth rates per embryo transfer cycle among FET treatment cycles…were: 31% for women under 35 years old, 24% for women aged 35-39 years, 15% for women 40 years old and over. The overall miscarriage rate of 19% per ongoing clinical pregnancy.” Considering those exorbitant prices are just the cost of becoming pregnant, before all the other costs associated with having a child, it seems like a lot of money to spend on a possibility.
Next, there are the ethical concerns to consider. There are already so many children who need homes and good parents “In 2022, there were an estimated 61,104 children in out-of-home care across Canada.” A question that every aspiring parent/parents should be asking themselves is why is it so important to have a biological child? Many people believe giving birth is a crucial step in parenthood, and that to be parents, their child must be biologically connected to them. I think parenting, no matter how you came to be a parent, should be about the process of raising a child; being present in a child’s life and teaching them valuable lessons that will hopefully serve them in adulthood.
If having a mini-me is the driving factor for wanting to become a parent, perhaps a priority reevaluation is in order because even if your child looks like you, they are still entirely their own person. Instead of spending thousands of dollars on IVF treatments, adoption or fostering children is something I think anyone who is looking to become a parent should consider (even those who are able to conceive without the use of A.R.T. ) Additionally, a lot of people become enamored with the idea of having a baby, similar to the way everyone fawns over kittens and puppies while forgetting that babies grow into toddlers and then small children, and so on. If you are not prepared to love and care for a child as much as you are a baby, you should reconsider becoming a parent altogether. Adopting a child, usually takes a year, or longer, and involves a lot of paperwork, but it is not only a less expensive method of becoming a parent, but it is a societally conscious thing to do.
Finally, using A.R.T. can take a mental and physical toll on the individual using it. Repeated failure of the treatment can be discouraging to a patient, especially if they miscarry each time. Additionally, if IVF never works, it would be frustrating that so much time and money was spent with no return. Of course, it is also important to consider the risks associated with A.R.T. which, according to the National Library Of Medicine, are: ovarian torsion, infection, bleeding, and even death, multiple gestation, birth defects, health risks later in life of children born after ART, disorders of epigenetic imprinting, and gamete and embryo “mix-ups”. Couples undergoing ART are also up to 27 times more likely to have twins or multiple pregnancies than those conceiving spontaneously which can lead to increased maternal morbidity and both fetal and neonatal morbidity and mortality, pre‐eclampsia, gestational diabetes, and preterm labor and delivery. Again, those are just the symptoms associated with pregnancies that came from A.R.T., not to mention all of the other common ailments.
Ultimately, whether or not using A.R.T. is worth it is a very personal decision, but it is important to be educated about all the risks of the treatment and to know that there are other options.
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