“should ivf be available to all people who apply for this form of reproductive technology?”

“ Should IVF be available to all people who apply for this form of reproductive technology? ” In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is the process of fertilizing eggs with sperm outside of the human body. Once fertilised, the resulting embryos are placed back in the woman’s uterus in the hope that a successful pregnancy will follow. In vitro fertilization (IVF) usually is used only by couples who have trouble getting pregnant without intervention. But many homosexual couples are starting to use this method to get pregnant. Although the possibility of pregnancy being achieved through the use of In Vitro Fertilization has improved to the point where between one out of four procedures are successful, the possibility of a pregnancy being achieved for any single patient cannot be predicted, primarily because there are so many variables and possible complications although the chance of success varies from case to case. The procedure involves the female partner taking medication to stimulate her ovaries to produce more eggs than usual. These eggs are then harvested surgically once they have ripened. The male partner then produces a sperm specimen and the sperm are combined in the lab with the woman’s eggs. The embryos are grown in the lab for three to five days and then the most viable embryos (usually one or two) are transferred back to the woman’s uterus. Seven to ten days later, she takes a pregnancy test. Depending on the circumstances, the procedure has a roughly 30% success rate each cycle it’s tried. Many scientists believe that Infertility is rising faster in developing countries than in developed nations and it has a much more devastating impact on countries like Japan because of the recent radiation from the nuclear plants and scientists predict that this could last well over 500 years. This caused a major worry between a lot of couples seeking to have kids that now there is a risk of having a child with a mental or a physical disability. Many scientists believe that in these extreme cases in vitro fertilization is the best and safe method of having a child who is healthy but choosing this method of reproduction comes in a lot of expense some ranging over 10, 000 U. S Dollars and this may risk of having multiple pregnancies, miscarriage and other complications. Because the procedure often places more than one embryo in a woman’s uterus, there is a higher than usual chance of having twins or triplets. Around one in four couples who have had successful IVF treatment will have twins. The proportion of couples affected by infertility is over three times higher in some developing regions below the so-called ” infertility belt” The consequences of infertility were far greater in under-developed countries. Whilst in the developed world, infertility is a personal and family tragedy that may lead to self-blame, diminished self-esteem, marital stress and depression, in poorer parts of the world, infertility can result in women being stigmatised, alienated and subjected to domestic violence and polygamous marriages. ” Womanhood is defined by motherhood in some regions so infertile women can be seen as ‘cursed’ and are deprived of all social status.”(Dr Luca Gianaroli) Women in the developing world could still be stigmatised as infertile if they produced fewer than the normally expected number of children, had no sons, or failed to get pregnant soon after marriage. Infertility in developing countries is compounded by a combination of factors leading to secondary infertility, including poor healthcare provision, non-medically supervised births, unsafe abortions, a lack of sexual health education, female genital mutilation, environmental pollution, but above all by a greater prevalence of inadequately treated infections affecting the reproductive organs of both men and women. For example, 85 per cent of sub fertile women in Africa have infection-related infertility compared to 33 per cent in the rest of the world, he said. Infection is usually the result of sexually-transmitted diseases or HIV although TB and schistosomiasis also take their toll on fecundity. (Prof Tarlatzis) Most women who go through IVF see every embryo as a potential life. It is the rare person who sees them as disposable. To get where one needs IVF to conceive, one has gone through a tremendous amount of emotional struggles by the time she finds IVF is her only option. Most of us wish to give every embryo the chance at life but must struggle with having some embryos not survive in order to do what fertile couples have no problem doing, have a biological child. But infertility is a disease of the reproductive system in which on needs treatment just like one would need treatment for any other ailment or disease. There is a risk of multiple pregnancies when more than one embryo is placed into the womb. Carrying more than one baby at a time increases the risk of premature birth and low birth weight. It is unclear whether IVF increases the risk of birth defects. Because of babies born prematurely, often because of a multiple pregnancy, IVF babies, as any natural multiples pregnancy, may have health concerns. There have been several studies done and some find a small link between IVF and birth defects where many other studies find none. In rare cases, a woman can develop ovarian hyper stimulation syndrome where fluid accumulates in the abdominal cavity and chest that can become life threatening if not treated promptly. In very rare cases a woman who develops OHSS may need to terminate a pregnancy to save her life. IVF is still a very new method, it started only about 15 years ago and the long term effects of this process are unknown. All and all IVF is a process which should be available for couples who suffer with infertility all around the world and it is one choice if they are seeking for this method of reproduction and it is important to educate the couple with the process of IVF and what are the factors that could cause a problem to both the mother and the unborn child. It is also important to take into consideration that infertility is a disease and it should be treated properly. References Evans, M. (18 Jan 2010). IVF among older women: arguments for and against. The Telegraph, 39. Retrieved from http://www. telegraph. co. uk/health/7012514/IVF-among-older-women-arguments-for-and-against. html. Last accessed 20/05/2012 General Artical. (2010). The Pros and Cons of IVF. Available: http://www. pbs. org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/babies-pros-and-cons/. Last accessed 20/05/2012.