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Postgraduate Training Course in Reproductive Health/Chronic Disease 2004

Ethical issues in assisted reproduction

Effy Vayena, PhD
Department of Reproductive Health and Research
World Health Organization
Geneva, Switzerland

See also slide presentation

1. Brief review of main types of analysis when ethical dilemmas in ART are presented:

  • Duty-based bioethics
  • Utilitarian bioethics
  • Feminist bioethics

2. Main principles of analysis

  • Respect for persons
  • Beneficence
  • Non-maleficence
  • Justice

3. In light of the above theories and principles bioethicists are looking at ART dilemmas in relation

  • to the individual
  • to the couple
  • to the child
  • to the society

4. Some of the most intriguing issues in ART:

  • Status of the embryos/ surplus embryos and their disposal
  • Gamete donation/anonymity/ commercialisation
  • Welfare of the child
  • Sex selection for non-medical reasons
  • Patient’s autonomy versus medial responsibility
  • Public funding of ART/ the case of poor resource countries
  • Discussion and analysis of arguments for some of the above issues.

5. Legal approach- legislation and regulation of ART

  • Examples of the variations among countries reflecting the variety of ethical and moral norms.

6. Reference to the WHO work on ART and the recent publication

1-3 brief overview

4-5 more analysis

6 brief