The ethics of in vitro fertilization - 1982

In vitro fertilization is one of many methods for the treatment of infertility. Each method has its special application, depending on the cause of the infertility. It happens that in vitro fertilization is the only available method to treat certain problems. If the treatment of infertility is ethically acceptable, we hold that there can be no ethical objection to the use of in vitro fertilization for this purpose. Although this position seems simple, clear, and self-evident, there are those who have voiced objections. These objections are so diverse and put forth with such varied scholarship, motives, and prejudices that they do not easily lend themselves to classification. Walters, in 1979, in a comprehensive review of 240 published articles constituting the ethical literature to that date, discussed them under 16 major headings and additional subheadings. With this vast literature, it seems impossible to say anything new. Nevertheless, those opposed to in vitro fertilization are so organized and repetitive that comments limited to each of the most frequently voiced objections might be appropriate.