A Comprehensive Analysis of Legal and Ethical Issues in IVF

This essay provides a comprehensive overview of the legal and ethical considerations surrounding In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and assisted conception, with a focus on sperm and egg donation. It delves into the fertility laws in the UK, including the legal aspects for solo mothers and the complex requirements for surrogacy. The essay explores ethical issues associated with IVF, such as the mixing of embryos, objections to unmarried or same-sex parents, and the permissibility of sex selection. It also discusses the moral objections to IVF, particularly concerning the destruction of embryos, and suggests ways to mitigate these objections. Furthermore, the essay examines NICE recommendations, IVF criteria in the UK, legal restrictions, and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act. It concludes by highlighting the synergy between law and ethical theories in IVF, acknowledging the diverse opinions and legal requirements surrounding IVF treatment.

TheꢀBeginningꢀofꢀLif
e-ꢀ
AssistedꢀConceptionꢀ
–Spermꢀ
&ꢀEggꢀdonation,ꢀIVF

Tableꢀofꢀco
ntentꢀ

Introductionꢀ

Fertilityꢀlawꢀandꢀtreatm
ent

Lawsꢀforꢀsoloꢀmothers

complexꢀlegalꢀrequirementsꢀforꢀsurr
ogacy
 EthicalꢀissuesꢀwithꢀIVFꢀ
Lawsꢀregardingꢀsurrogacyꢀafterꢀmen
opause
 PositivesꢀethicalꢀdebateꢀofꢀIVF
 EthicalꢀissueꢀwithꢀIVFꢀtreatment
 MoralꢀobjectionsꢀtoꢀIVFꢀ

Tableꢀofꢀco
ntentꢀ

Eliminatingꢀtheꢀethicalꢀobjectionsꢀt
oꢀIVFꢀ
NICEꢀrecommendationsꢀ
 IVFꢀ criteriaꢀinꢀUKꢀ Criteriaꢀforꢀprivateꢀtreatment
 LegalꢀrestrictionsꢀonꢀIVFꢀ

Humanꢀfertilisationꢀandꢀembryolog
yꢀactꢀ
 Conclusionꢀ
Referencesꢀ

Introductio
nꢀ

Inꢀvitroꢀfertilizationꢀisꢀaꢀtypeꢀofꢀcomplexꢀprocessꢀw
hichꢀpreventꢀ
geneticꢀissueꢀandꢀhelpsꢀinꢀconceptionꢀofꢀaꢀchild.ꢀInꢀthisꢀprocessꢀ
allꢀtheꢀeggsꢀofꢀovariesꢀareꢀgatheredꢀandꢀ
fertilizedꢀwithꢀtheꢀ
donatedꢀsperms.ꢀ
 Itꢀtakesꢀapproximatelyꢀthreeꢀweeksꢀtoꢀ
completeꢀoneꢀcycleꢀofꢀ
IVF.ꢀItꢀisꢀaꢀtypeꢀofꢀmiracleꢀforꢀthoseꢀparentsꢀ
whoꢀareꢀunableꢀtoꢀ
conceive.ꢀItꢀisꢀveryꢀsafeꢀmethodꢀandꢀmoreꢀ
successfulꢀꢀmanyꢀ
otherꢀreproductiveꢀtechnologies.ꢀ

Overvie
wꢀ
 Thereꢀ areꢀ threeꢀ kindꢀ ofꢀ inꢀ vitroꢀ fertilizationꢀ
includingꢀ intraꢀ
cytoplasmicꢀ spermꢀinjection,ꢀ gameteꢀ intraꢀ
fallopianꢀtransferꢀandꢀ
zygoteꢀintraꢀfallopianꢀtransfer.ꢀ

Sinceꢀtheꢀbirthꢀofꢀworldꢀfirstꢀinꢀvitroꢀfertilisedꢀbaby,ꢀLou
iseꢀBrownꢀinꢀ
UK,ꢀ theꢀ publicꢀ ofꢀ UKꢀ areꢀ interestedꢀ inꢀ
assistedꢀ reproductiveꢀ
technology.ꢀAsꢀitꢀmakeꢀscientistꢀtoꢀmanipulateꢀ
spermꢀandꢀeggsꢀinꢀ
orderꢀ toꢀ eliminateꢀ theꢀ hurdlesꢀ comesꢀ inꢀ wayꢀ
ofꢀ fertilisationꢀ
(Cambridge,ꢀ2020).

Fertilityꢀlawꢀandꢀt
reatment
 Fertilityꢀ lawꢀ cameꢀ intoꢀ forceꢀ inꢀ
2008ꢀ inꢀ UK.ꢀ
Accordingꢀtoꢀtheꢀlawꢀlesbianꢀmotherꢀ
mayꢀbeꢀparentsꢀ
atꢀtheꢀbirthꢀofꢀtheꢀchildꢀandꢀcanꢀbeꢀna
medꢀasꢀhisꢀcivilꢀ
parentsꢀbutꢀthereꢀareꢀsomeꢀlegalꢀproced
ureꢀtheyꢀhaveꢀ
toꢀfollow.ꢀ

TheyꢀhaveꢀtoꢀgetꢀappropriateꢀformsꢀatꢀaꢀU
Kꢀlicensedꢀ
fertilityꢀclinicꢀandꢀregisteredꢀthemꢀ
selvesꢀasꢀcivilꢀ
parents.ꢀ

Lawsꢀforꢀsoloꢀ
mothers
 Singleꢀmother,ꢀifꢀtheyꢀconceiveꢀthroughꢀ
donatedꢀspermꢀtheyꢀareꢀ
requiredꢀtoꢀtakeꢀspecificꢀlegalꢀcareꢀ(Edwards,ꢀ2018
).ꢀUnsuccessfulꢀ
IVFꢀcausesꢀdivorceꢀasꢀtheꢀmotherꢀisꢀnotꢀableꢀtoꢀc
onceive.ꢀ
Afterꢀtheꢀdivorceꢀaꢀwomanꢀcanꢀrepresentꢀherselfꢀasꢀs
ingleꢀwomanꢀ
atꢀtheꢀfertilityꢀclinic.ꢀSheꢀrequiredꢀtoꢀbeꢀawareꢀ
ofꢀlegalꢀpitfallꢀifꢀ
sheꢀisꢀconceivingꢀwithꢀaꢀknownꢀmaleꢀspermꢀdonor.ꢀ

Complexꢀlegalꢀrequirementsꢀf
orꢀsurrogacy
 Lawꢀandꢀlegislationꢀregardingꢀtheꢀsurrogacyꢀ
isꢀveryꢀlengthyꢀ
inꢀUK.ꢀParentsꢀmustꢀapplyꢀtoꢀtheꢀhighꢀ
courtꢀtoꢀgetꢀparentalꢀ
ordersꢀandꢀfulfilꢀallꢀtheꢀlegalꢀrequirementsꢀforꢀt
heꢀsurrogacy.ꢀ
 Fatherꢀandꢀmotherꢀbothꢀareꢀrequiredꢀtoꢀfileꢀ
aꢀparentalꢀorderꢀ
fromꢀtheꢀcourtꢀwhereꢀasꢀsingleꢀmotherꢀisꢀnotꢀa
llowedꢀtoꢀfileꢀtoꢀ
getꢀparentalꢀordersꢀ(Ferberꢀandꢀet.ꢀal.,ꢀ 2020).ꢀ

Ethicalꢀissuesꢀwit
hꢀIVFꢀ
 IVFꢀfoundꢀfaultꢀonꢀtheꢀethicalꢀgroundꢀasꢀitꢀisꢀanalysedꢀ
theꢀembryosꢀhaveꢀbeenꢀ
mixedꢀup.ꢀToꢀminimizeꢀthisꢀerrorꢀHFEAꢀhasꢀintroducesꢀ
doubleꢀwitnessꢀsystemꢀ
whichꢀalsoꢀeliminatesꢀconflictsꢀamongꢀparents.ꢀ
 Inꢀthisꢀsystemꢀthereꢀareꢀtwoꢀspecialistꢀwhoꢀisꢀreliableꢀtoꢀ
makeꢀsureꢀthereꢀisꢀnoꢀ
error.ꢀ ItꢀhasꢀbeenꢀcriticisedꢀthatꢀIVFFꢀisꢀagainstꢀtheꢀnaturalꢀconceptionꢀandꢀanyꢀ
womenꢀcanꢀgetꢀpregnant,ꢀhaveꢀbabiesꢀevenꢀafterꢀtheirꢀmeno
pause.ꢀ
 Manyꢀobjectionsꢀarouseꢀfromꢀtheꢀgroupꢀofꢀpeopleꢀwhoꢀ
wereꢀagainstꢀtoꢀtheꢀ
unmarriedꢀparentsꢀwithꢀdameꢀsexꢀ(Macin
tosh,ꢀ2019).ꢀ

Lawsꢀregardingꢀsurrogacyꢀafterꢀmenopause
 Inꢀspiteꢀofꢀtheseꢀreligiousꢀconceptsꢀandꢀethicalꢀobjectsꢀ
thereꢀisꢀnothingꢀwhichꢀisꢀ
againstꢀtheꢀIVFꢀtreat
ment.ꢀ
 Treatmentꢀisꢀnotꢀbasedꢀonꢀanyꢀreligion,ꢀsexualꢀorientationꢀ
andꢀꢀotherꢀfactorsꢀbutꢀ
thereꢀareꢀalsoꢀcertainꢀlimitationsꢀasꢀwomenꢀafterꢀherꢀmenopau
seꢀfaceꢀdifficultiesꢀinꢀ
gettingꢀparentalꢀorders.ꢀ Afterꢀtheꢀmenopause,ꢀtheꢀchancesꢀofꢀsuccessfulꢀIVFꢀgetꢀ
reducedꢀandꢀthisꢀtheꢀ
reasonꢀwhyꢀtheꢀgettingꢀparentalꢀorderꢀbecomesꢀquitꢀ
toughꢀ(MonasterioꢀAstobizaꢀ
andꢀMolinaꢀPérez,ꢀ2022).ꢀ

Positivesꢀethicalꢀdebat
eꢀofꢀIVF
 ThereꢀareꢀalsoꢀsomeꢀpositivesꢀofꢀIVFꢀinꢀtheꢀethicalꢀ
debateꢀasꢀtheꢀfeministꢀ
advocatesꢀsupportꢀthoseꢀwhoꢀwantsꢀtoꢀpresentꢀthemselvesꢀasꢀaꢀsingleꢀmotherꢀ
andꢀwantꢀtoꢀhaveꢀkidsꢀafterꢀgettingꢀdivorced.ꢀThereꢀ
areꢀnumberꢀofꢀgroupsꢀ
whoꢀareꢀstillꢀinꢀfavourꢀinꢀtheꢀtreatmentꢀandꢀareꢀbeyondꢀth
eseꢀcontroversy.ꢀ
 Forꢀexampleꢀparentsꢀhavingꢀfertilityꢀproblemsꢀandꢀ
healthꢀareꢀprofessionalsꢀ
whoꢀareꢀresponsibleꢀforꢀtheꢀtreatmentsꢀs
upportsꢀIVF.ꢀ
 Theyꢀtrulyꢀbeliefꢀthatꢀinfertilityꢀisꢀkindꢀofꢀillnessꢀorꢀ
disorderꢀwhichꢀcanꢀbeꢀ
treatedꢀwithꢀtheꢀhelpꢀofꢀmodernꢀmedicalꢀscienceꢀandꢀapp
ropriateꢀmedicines.ꢀ

EthicalꢀissueꢀwithꢀIVFꢀtreatment

EthicalꢀissueꢀofꢀIVFꢀmayꢀincludeꢀtheꢀqualityꢀofꢀconsentꢀobtainedꢀfromꢀtheꢀparties theꢀmotivationꢀofꢀtheꢀparents,ꢀtheꢀstorageꢀandꢀfateꢀofꢀ
surplusꢀembryos,ꢀtheꢀ
permissibilityꢀofꢀsex-
selectionꢀandꢀtheꢀusesꢀandꢀimplicationsꢀofꢀpre-implantationꢀ
geneticꢀdiagnosis.ꢀ
Itꢀisꢀanalysedꢀthatꢀthereꢀisꢀtimeꢀatꢀwhichꢀitꢀisꢀnotꢀpossibleꢀtoꢀi
dentifyꢀtheꢀembryoꢀbecauseꢀlackꢀofꢀdifferentiationꢀinꢀcellsꢀ(Oliveiraꢀan
dꢀet.ꢀal.,ꢀ2021).ꢀ