Society's contribution to assisted reproductive technology abuse

Shahar Kol and Joseph Itskovitz-Eldor

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, Israel

Email: itskovitz{at}rambam.health.gov.il

Sir,

Often the media seeks to portray assisted reproductive technology doctors as ruthless scientists eagerly persuing absurd goals, with human cloning being the ulimate red flag. Public opinion so created led to strict regulatory actions, often at the expense of patients' interests and quality of care (see recent Italian assisted reproductive technology legistlation). Bioethics in the field of assisted reproductive technology is a ‘hot’ subject, and a major source to many careers in academic institutions. In most cases, ethical considerations are taken to challenge assisted reproduction doctors.

However, it is often society itself that forces assisted reproduction doctors to create life in problematic ethical circumstances. The following case illustrates this point. A man aged 73 years was hospitalized with severe pneumonia after marrying a woman aged 36 years 10 months earlier. At the hospital he signed a will requesting that after his death sperm be retrieved from his body for the impregnation of the future widow. His lawyer secured a court order to execute the will. Immediately following his death, 3 days later, and under a court order, testicular biopsy was performed and 8 ampoules of frozen sperm were stored in liquid nitrogen. A month later the widow underwent an IVF cycle during which 18 oocytes were retrieved. One sperm ampoule was thawed and used in ICSI to fertilize the oocytes. Of the 14 embryos created, two were transferred to the widow's uterus resulting in the birth of a healthy girl. The other 12 embryos were frozen.

We doubt whether the above complies with acceptable ethical guidelines. Indeed, assisted reproduction doctors may be severly criticized should they conduct such treatment on their own initiative. Having said that, one cannot but wonder about the quick endorsement of assisted reproductive technology abuse by society, as represented by the legal system.

Turone F (2004) Italy to pass new law on assisted reproduction. BMJ 328, ( 7430) 9-a.

Submitted on February 16, 2005; accepted on February 16, 2005.





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