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Assisted Reproductive Technologies Essay

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Assisted Reproductive Technologies Essay
Assisted Reproductive Technologies
What is assisted reproductive technologies? Per Dictionary.com assisted reproductive technologies are defined as the use of medical techniques to bring about the conception and birth of a child, including artificial insemination, in-vitro fertilization, egg and embryo donation and drug therapy. More specifically the procedures are called Intrauterine Insemination, In Vitro Fertilization, and taking the drug Clomiphene to stimulate ovulation. Typically, these methods are sought when couples are not able to conceive after one year of trying. These procedures bring up may ethical issues. One moral issue us is that fertilization happens outside of the body. Some other ethical questions that arise are:
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Success rates are not very high and age is a factor. If you do become pregnant, you may not carry the baby to term. Per the fertility solutions website, less than 50 percent of all couples starting an IVF cycle will achieve a pregnancy. Of those who do become pregnant, not all the pregnancies will result in a baby: A little over 25 percent of IVF cycles started, result in a live birth. (Advantages and Disadvantages of IVF, n.d.) Regardless of the costs, health risks, success rates, and ethical issues these procedures give couples who normally would not have any chance of and having a baby the opportunity to have one. The topic of assisted reproductive technologies has so many different scenarios and procedures; it is hard for me to know what is ethical. I am very conflicted. I firmly believe everyone should have the option to have a child regardless of their medical or undetermined issues. But how far is too far? For me using donor sperm or egg would be too far. However, I think it depends on the couple and their beliefs. Ten years ago, my husband and I previously chose not to pursue drug therapy. If he took the drug, it might have produced abnormal sperm. Was this the right decision? It was for us at the time. However, I believe, we will be dealing with this issue again very soon and may make a different

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