Abstract
Reproductive technologies (RTs) have given urgency to some perennial questions: the reasons for wanting children, the implications of infertility, what it means to be a parent, and the strength of the genetic bond between people. In 1978, scientific developments in embryology and embryo transfer culminated in the birth of the world's first baby born as a result of . in vitro fertilization (IVF) in Britain. This event prompted extensive ethical debate over the acceptability of RTs, with opinions ranging from whole-hearted support to condemnation. The issues raised can be divided into two categories: arguments for and against the use and development of RTs and the ethical dilemmas created by specific aspects of RTs. This article largely focuses on the Anglo-American debate over RTs, recognizing that the debate has taken different forms in other countries.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV |
| Pages | 766-774 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780123739322 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2012 |
Keywords
- Access to treatment
- Desire for a child
- Donation of gametes
- Donor anonymity
- Embryos
- Feminist positions
- In vitro fertilization
- Infertility
- Reproductive autonomy
- Reproductive rights
- Reproductive technologies
- Welfare of the child
