Reproductive Technology

Reproductive technology is what encircles the majority of current use of technology in human and animal reproduction. It is also known as assisted reproductive technology due to it being a help to individuals for contraception and others. Through this use of technology parenting dreams are able to come true due to its ability of giving infertile couples a chance to conceive children. It has been shown that this technology gives safe, healthy, and improved reproduction.¹

Overview:

Reproductive technology is used to assist with infertility and low fertility. There are many different types associated with reproductive technology, including:

Types of Reproductive Technology

1. Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART): It uses medical procedure and involves in vitro fertilization (which is where a female’s egg is combined with a male’s sperm outside of the body). 2. Gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) which is an in vivo process by obtaining an egg from an ovary and mixing it with sperm in the body then reinserting it into the fallopian tube by GIFT. 3. A similar procedure is called Zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT) the only difference is that the egg and the sperm are mixed in a lab setting rather than in the body.

These techniques help low fertility or no fertility individuals to be able to have children. It also provides same sex realtionships to conceive children. Reproductive technology has many helpful aspects to many people who lack the ability to conceive children. However, although it is a helpful technology it could be unethical as well as that the use of the computer system to collect information can become an issue.

In vitro fertilization:

In vitro means outside the body. In vitro fertilization is the combination of an egg and a sperm in a glass tube. This takes time because it requires the wait for a woman’s ovulatory process and then removing the eggs from their ovaries, when this is done and mixed with sperm a zygote undergoes embryo culture and then it is implanted back in the uterus to establish pregnancy and the development of a baby. The method for this technique could take a very long time to do its many steps that need to be done.

Risks:

Recipients:

Third party system:

This term explains the idea that a third individual other than the two main couples will be assisting in giving either eggs or sperm for the couple’s use. This can be socially, legally, and ethically complex. There are many who perform anonymous donation which is donating without the reveal of their identity.

Hidden Identity:

Such individual’s information are put in the computer system but they shall never come out. There are also known donors with known identities. However both types have to fill out questionnaires regarding their personal information as well as personal and family medical history. Such information is very private, therefore information technology plays a big role here. They also have to answer question regarding their sexual history, substance use, history of family disease and psychological history. The egg donors also have to be screened for clinical evidence of infection and inherited disease that have the chance to pass on. Information like this is very private for people and having them be essentially able to get leaked is a risk factor. Moreover, the anonymous donors should be providing insight regarding their personality, hobbies, life goals, and educational background.

Lega Issues:

Third-party reproduction involves several legal issues. Written consent should be obtained for any procedure. In situations of known sperm or egg donors, both donors, as well as intended parents, are advised to have separate legal counsel and sign a legal contract that defines the financial obligations and rights of the donor with respect to the donated gametes.

Ethics

This process alters human enhancement and plays with bioethics. The use of the computer system could lead to data manipulation and incorrect information for personal matters. Some of the gametes are being donated by individuals who are in need of money and they might want their identity to be secure, however how much is their identity going to stay hidden with using a computer system. “Patients value counselling and demand accurate information to avoid unnecessary fears as well as false optimism.” How accurate are the measurements that are being made using technology. These can affect those who are using reproductive technology to have children, giving them hope from only a computer. If the success rate is not as accurate it could cause many problems.