IVF treatment and ethical issues surrounding it

IVF is a controversial topic everywhere. I am here to sum up the arguments presented by both sides of the discussion, whether IVF is good or bad?

What is IVF?

In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is one of several techniques available to help people with fertility problems have a baby. During IVF, an egg is removed from the woman's ovaries and fertilised with sperm in a laboratory. The fertilised egg, called an embryo, is then returned to the woman's womb to grow and develop. It can be carried out using your eggs and your partner's sperm, or eggs and sperm from donors.

Who can have it?

Guidelines recommend that IVF should be offered to women under the age of 43 who have been trying to get pregnant through regular unprotected sex for 2 years, or who have had 12 cycles of artificial insemination. If you're not eligible for NHS treatment, or you decide to pay for IVF, you can have treatment at a private clinic. Costs vary, but 1 cycle of treatment may cost up to £5,000 or more.

What happens during IVF?

1.    suppressing your natural cycle – the menstrual cycle is suppressed with medication

2.   boosting your egg supply – medication is used to encourage the ovaries to produce more eggs than usual

3.   monitoring your progress and maturing your eggs – an ultrasound scan is carried out to check the development of the eggs, and medication is used to help them mature

4.   collecting the eggs – a needle is inserted into the ovaries, via the vagina, to remove the eggs

5.   fertilising the eggs – the eggs are mixed with the sperm for a few days to allow them to be fertilised

6.   transferring the embryo(s) – 1 or 2 fertilised eggs (embryos) are placed into the womb

Once the embryo(s) has been transferred into your womb, you'll need to wait 2 weeks before having a pregnancy test to see if the treatment has worked.

Success rate

Younger women are more likely to have a successful pregnancy. IVF isn't usually recommended for women over the age of 42 because the chances of a successful pregnancy are thought to be too low.

In 2010 the percentage of IVF treatments that resulted in a live birth was:

·       32.2% for women under 35  

·       27.7% for women aged 35 to 37  

·       20.8% for women aged 38 to 39   

·       13.6% for women aged 40 to 42   

·       5% for women aged 43 to 44 

·       1.9% for women aged over 44

Maintaining a healthy weight and avoiding alcohol, smoking and caffeine during treatment may improve your chances of having a baby with IVF.

Risks

IVF doesn't always result in pregnancy, and it can be both physically and emotionally demanding. 

There are also a number of health risks involved, including:

·       side effects from the medications used during treatment, such as hot flushes and headaches.

·       multiple births (such as twins or triplets) – this can be dangerous for both the mother and the children

·       an ectopic pregnancy – where the embryo implants in the fallopian tubes, rather than in the womb

·       ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) – where too many eggs develop in the ovaries

There are many social issues surrounding IVF treatment. For example, in many religions, such and Catholicism, they believe that IVF is wrong. This is because they believe that conceiving a child should be natural. Others may argue that the Bible teaches to “procreate” so if it is necessary to have IVF then it should be accepted. Other people disagree with IVF because many eggs are fertilised and not all of them are used. The rest of them are discarded or used for scientific research. This causes people to not like the idea of IVF as it I wasting life that could have been made, however, many others could say that it is good because the research carried out on the embryos could potentially cure some illnesses and help the world.

 Thank you for reading my blog which is part of the YSA.