According to traditional Christian views, beginning at conception, the embryo has moral status as a human being, and thus most assisted reproductive technologies are forbidden.
Unfortunately, most Catholics are not aware of the Church's teaching, do not know that IVF is immoral, and some have used it in attempting to have children. If a couple is unaware that the procedure is immoral, they are not subjectively guilty of sin.
Artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization, and surrogate motherhood are immoral because they involve sexual acts that are procreative, but not unitive. And, rightful conception must respect the inseparability of the two meanings of the sexual act.
Indeed, Catholicism takes a pretty strong stance against IVF. The church prohibits any type of conception that takes place outside of “marital union,” which rules out the use of assisted reproductive technology. Another issue is cryopreservation of embryos, which presents numerous moral conundrums for Catholics.
The Bible is full of encouragement and faithful company for the infertile: God's instruction to humanity to 'be fruitful and multiply,' separates multiplying and living fruitfully: living a fruitful life for God is possible even for those that have not managed to work out the human multiplication equation.
Thus, except the story of Abraham and Sarah in Abimelech's court, it can be concluded that infertility is not synonymous with God's punishment. The stories of infertile women in the Bible are lifted to emphasise that God alone is in charge of who can conceive, when and how they can conceive.
Infertility is not a punishment inflicted on you for something you did or didn't do. L. Encee, an infertility patient, who was unsuccessful in treatment, but became a mom through adoption, posted some sage advice in the Creating a Family Facebook Support Group.
The chief moral argument against the fertilization of a human egg in a laboratory dish was that the parents' desire for a child did not entitle them to have it by a possibly unsafe method that might result in a deformed infant. In the United States that argument delayed the further development of IVF.
There is evidence that high oestrogen levels associated with high stimulation IVF can increase the risk of prematurity and low birth weight in babies. There is growing evidence that giving high stimulation during IVF increases the chance that a baby is born prematurely and with lower birth weight.
Therefore, often results in emotional and financial loss. Children born through methods like IVF are more prone to complications like mental retardation, chronic lung problems, cerebral palsy and learning disabilities. Another social issue is the concern of age.
The Catholic Church teaches that there is an inseparable connection between sexual intercourse and conceiving children, and that it is wrong for human beings to use artificial methods to break this connection.
In Psalm 139, the psalmist says to God: “Thou didst see my limbs unformed in the womb, and in thy book they are all recorded.” “It is extremely powerful, the idea in this psalm, that in this 'unformed' embryo God already sees the whole future,” Benedict said.
In standard IVF cases, by contrast, we produce embryos with purely reproductive intentions. The inevitable destruction of some embryos is merely an unintended side effect of IVF.
Instead, the Church teaches that children are a gift from God, only to be conceived and carried naturally by a married husband and wife. Any addition of a third party to this process is considered immoral.
Studies show that women in their 20s and 30s have the most success when getting pregnant through IVF and other reproductive technologies. According to the CDC, the average percentages of assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycles that lead to a live birth are: 31% in women younger than 35 years of age.
The failure to implant embryos into the uterus lining is one of the major reasons for failure of IVF. The doctors are yet to find out the exact reasons for the unsuccessful attempt. The misfiring of the attempt can happen due to two reasons; either due to the problem of the embryo or because of the uterus.
As far as physical outcomes, a recent study looking at over 158,000 children saw minimal-to-no difference in growth, weight, and fat percentage over time.
For specific procedures, IVF with ICSI for paternal infertility was associated with a small increase in the RR for autistic disorder and mental retardation compared with IVF without ICSI. The prevalence of these disorders was low, and the increase in absolute risk associated with IVF was small.
Q: What are the long-term side effects of IVF injections? A: There is limited research on the long-term side effects of IVF injections. However, some studies suggest that women who undergo multiple rounds of IVF treatment may have an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer or breast cancer.
IVF is associated with an increased health risk for the offspring in the form of malformations, functional disorders, and a poorer peripartum outcome. This is possibly caused by parental factors, but also by factors related to the IVF technology used.
Isaac and Rebekah were the first generations of Abraham's decedents to experience infertility. Rebekah's son Jacob and his two wives, Leah and Rachel, would be the second generation of Abraham's decedents to experienced infertility.