Definition
Assisted reproduction denotes techniques for creating a baby other than by sexual intercourse between a woman and a man. 1
Technologies
There are several technologies to create a baby, these technologies enable infertile couples to have a child. Some of the techniques can help parents to select children who do not suffer from some (genetic) disease. The three most well known techniques are artificial insemination (AI)2,3,4, in vitro fertilization (IVF) and surrogacy. Artificial Insemination is a relatively simple procedure. The overall success rate of artificial insemination is about 85%. There are several types of artificial insemination: Homologous (uses the sperm obtained from the mail partner), Heterologous (uses sperm form a sperm donor) and Confused (employs a mixture of sperm from the male partner and sperm obtained from donor). In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is a technique where baby’s are created in a test-tube. The first test-tube baby was created in 1978. IVF is initially used exclusively in women with damaged fallopian tubes, the indications for IVF have been extended to include male …show more content…
In both situations there are many moral issues raised. When reproductive technologies, such as artificial insemination are used within a marriage the husband may feel jealous/inadequate. It is also possible that the husband may find it more difficult to bond with the baby because he is not the biological father. When reproduction technologies are used outside a marriage the following moral issues are raised: Should single women be allowed to have children? Should people with disabilities or people over a certain age be allowed to us assisted insemination? By some of the technologies used for reproduction a third party is involved. Examples are assisted insemination by donor and surrogate motherhood. By surrogate motherhood there are no parental rights