Presented By: Mrchyl Ambat, Urriel Dotimas, Arlene Vidad

WHAT IS ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE

TECHNOLOGY?

Assisted Reproductive
Technology are medical
procedures used primarily to
address infertility and
other health issues that
makes a person incapable of
reproduction.
 SOME EXAMPLES

IN VITRO FERTILIZATION
 SOME EXAMPLES

INTRACYTOPLASMIC SPERM
INJECTION (ICSI)
 SOME EXAMPLES

CYROPRESERVATION OF GAMETES
OR EMBRYOS
 SOME EXAMPLES

INTRAUTERINE INSEMINATION
 SOME EXAMPLES

INTRAFALLOPIAN TRANSFER
 WHY ARE REPRODUCTIVE
TECHNOLOGIES USED?

O Female and male infertility

O Fallopian Tube Reconstruction
O Luteinizing Hormone Deficiency
O Follicle-stimulating Hormone
Abnormalities
 CRITERIA/MORAL PRINCIPLES TO
CONSIDER

O Modern medicine in General is

morally Good
O We should treat the unborn child as
a Human Person from the moment of
conception
O God intends that a child should be
conceived by and born to a married
man and woman
 MORALLY ACCEPTABLE

ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION BY
HUSBAND
The husband’s sperm is first
collected and then injected into
the wife’s cervix or uterus using a
needleless syringe or other medical
device.
 MORALLY ACCEPTABLE

IN VITRO FERTILIZATION WITHOUT

DESTRUCTION OF EMBRYOS
The process of joining
together a woman’s egg and a
husband’s sperm in a laboratory
rather than inside a woman’s body.
 OPTIONS FOR HANDLING
REMAINING EBRYOS
O Cyropreservation or Freezing of
unimplanted embryo for future use
O Embryo Adaptation or anonymously
donating the embryo for use by
other infertile couple
O Allowing the embryos to develop
in the laboratory until they
perish, at which they are
discarded
According to Society of
Assisted Reproductive
Technology (SART),

“The older the woman, the

lower the success rate.”
 MORALLY ACCEPTABLE
EMBRYO ADAPTATION
Couples might adopt excess frozen
embryo from other couples and have them
implanted in the wife’s womb.

These children are called

“Snow flake Children” and they
often grow to be healthy and normal
 MORALLY ACCEPTABLE
PREFERTILIZATION GENETIC SCREENING
FOR GENETIC DISEASE
It is now possible to genetically
screen a husband prior to fertilization
of a woman’s egg in IVF or prior to AIH.

It is used to prevent the

conception of a child who would likely
have serious genetically transmitted
disease, e.g. cystic fibrosis, heart
malformation, hemophilia, Huntington’s
disease, STDs. It is also used for sex
selection.
 MORALLY UNACCEPTABLE
IN VITRO FERTILIZATION WITH
SELECTIVE REDUCTION
The doctor chooses the one or
two embryos that look most likely
to survive and implants those
embryos in the woman’s womb, and
the destroys the others.

[Destruction of Human life]

 MORALLY UNACCEPTABLE
ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION BY
DONOR
Artificial insemination
with the sperm of a man who is
not the husband

[violates criteria #2; child is conceived

by unmarried couple]
 MORALLY UNACCEPTABLE
SURROGATE MOTHERHOOD
Sometimes, a married woman who
is physically unable to carry and
bear children herself will reach an
agreement with another woman, who
agrees to be impregnated with the
original couple’s embryo and carry
the child to term.

[Criteria #2; marital conflict]

 WORLD VIEWS
HINDUISM [PRO]

most Hindus place a great

importance on family life and so if
they find themselves infertile they
might agree with the use of AIH and
IVF to help them to give birth.
Hindu scripture describes four
ashrama, the second of these is
called Grihastha. This is the
householder stage, where it is
their role to create a home and
bring up a family.
 WORLD VIEWS
HINDUISM [AGAINST]

some Hindus argue that

adoption from a relative would be a
more appropriate alternative to AIH
and IVF, as the adopted child's
family background would still be
known. They may argue that adopting
any child is better than AIH or
IVF, because they may involve the
destruction of unused embryos and
therefore go against ahimsa.
 WORLD VIEWS
HINDUISM [AGAINST]

Hindus believe in karma or

'intentional action'. Some Hindus
believe it is good action to give a
loving home to a child who needs
one, so would prefer adoption over
fertility treatments. Others may
believe that being childless is due
to karmic debt, so it is pointless
to use fertility treatments as they
have to 'pay' the debt at some
stage.
 WORLD VIEWS
BUDDHISM [PRO]

AIH is one form of fertility

treatment that many Buddhists find
they can support. This is because it
does not break any codes of behavior,
and appears to benefit the individuals
involved. Most Buddhists believe that
it is a rare privilege to be born as a
human, as humans are the only beings
capable of enlightenment. he technique
may also enable a couple to have a
child and, therefore, could be
considered a compassionate action.
 WORLD VIEWS
BUDDHISM [AGAINST]

Buddhists are generally not

under pressure to create a family.
Furthermore, Buddhists are
encouraged not to crave as doing so
can cause suffering. Buddhists
should, therefore, accept their
inability to have children.
 WORLD VIEWS

JUDAISM

Today, three sects of Judaism

exist:
(1) the Orthodox Jews who form about 10%,
(2) the conservative Jews, who form about
5%; and
(3) the reformed Jews who form the
majority at about 85% (Silber, 2008).
 WORLD VIEWS

JUDAISM
In matters of birth, death,
marriage and divorce, all Jews
follow the Ten Commandments given
by God to Moses on Mount Sinai, but
the three sects differ in their
acceptance of various aspects of
assisted reproduction. So, in
general, if IVF is mandatory, it is
allowed as Jews have an obligation
to “be fruitful and multiply”.
 WORLD VIEWS

JUDAISM
PGD and PGS are also allowed because
the soul does not enter the body until 40
days (Halacha = Kosher). Selective reduction
is acceptable as it enhances the possibility
of life as determined by doctors. Embryo
research to promote life is also acceptable
as well as therapeutic cloning and any
research, which can promote lifesaving
treatment (e.g. stem cell and cellular
replacement therapy) (Silber, 2008).
 WORLD VIEWS

JUDAISM

However, some aspects of

assisted reproduction are still
controversial and the three
sects of Judaism differ in their
acceptance.
 WORLD VIEWS

CATHOLIC
The position of the Catholic
Church regarding assisted
reproduction follows the proclamation
issued in 1956 by Pope Pius XII who
defined artificial fecundation as
immoral and illegal, because it
separates procreation and sexual
normal function (Pope Pius XII,
1956).
 WORLD VIEWS

CATHOLIC
These views were reinforced by
Pope Paul VI in 1968 and again in the
report issued by the Roman Catholic
Church in 1987 entitled “Respect for
Human Life and the Dignity of
Procreation” which stated that
“Children are a gift and a blessing
from God and that although science
makes some things possible it does
not make them right.
 WORLD VIEWS

CATHOLIC
Research must continue into the
causes of infertility, but the
morality of these should be carefully
considered” (Pope Paul VI, 1968;
Roman Catholic Church, 1989).
Consequently, all forms of assisted
reproduction including IUI, IVF,
ICSI, ET and surrogate motherhood are
not accepted.
 WORLD VIEWS
CATHOLIC
IUI can be accepted if the semen is
collected by sexual intercourse while AID is
forbidden because it involves a third party.

Moreover, the Catholic Church offers

its respect and protection to the human being
starting with its first seconds of existence;
it therefore considers the zygote, pre-
embryo, embryo and foetus as persons and
strongly disapproves research on embryos,
cryopreservation and abortion (Abdallah,
2008).
 WORLD VIEWS
SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS
Because of their conviction that
God is concerned with all dimensions
of human life, Seventh-day Adventists
are committed to discovering and
following God's principles for human
reproduction.

The power of procreation is God's

gift, and should be used to glorify
God and bless humanity.
 WORLD VIEWS
SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS

Through a careful study of the

Bible and the ministry of the Holy
Spirit, the community of faith can
identify fundamental principles that
guide in decision making regarding
assisted reproduction.
 WORLD VIEWS
SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS
Among the most important of these are:

[1] Human reproduction is part of

God's plan (Gen 1:28), and children
are a blessing from the Lord (Ps
127:3; 113:9). Medical technologies
that aid infertile couples, when
practiced in harmony with biblical
principles, may be accepted in good
cons
 WORLD VIEWS
SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS
Among the most important of these are:

[2] Childlessness should bear no

social or moral stigma, and no one
should be pressured to have children
with or without medical assistance (1
Cor 7:4, 7; Rom 14:4; Matt 19:10-12;
24:19; 1 Tim 5:8). Decisions to use or
not use reproductive technologies are
a deeply personal matter to be settled
mutually by a wife and husband,
without coercion.
 WORLD VIEWS
SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS
Among the most important of these are:

[3] God's ideal is for children to

have the benefits of a stable family
with active participation of both
mother and father (Prov 22:6; Ps
128:1-3; Eph 6:4; Deut 6:4-7; 1 Tim
5:8).
 WORLD VIEWS
SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS
Among the most important of these are:

[4] Human life should be treated with

respect at all stages of development
(Jer 1:5; Ps 139:13-16). Assisted
reproduction calls for sensitivity to
the value of human life.
 WORLD VIEWS
SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS
Among the most important of these are:

[5] Decisions regarding procreation

should be based on complete and
accurate information (Prov 12:22; Eph
4:15, 25). Couples considering
assisted reproduction should seek such
information.
 WORLD VIEWS
SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS
Among the most important of these are:

[6] The principles of Christian

stewardship are relevant to decisions
concerning assisted reproduction (Luke
14:28; Prov 3:9). Some forms of
technology are very costly.