Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- 1 Human origins, natural selection and the evolution of ethics
- 2 Sex determination, brain sex and sexual behaviour
- 3 Inappropriate lifestyle and congenital disability in children: basic principles of growth, toxicology, teratogenesis and mutagenesis
- 4 Substance abuse and parenthood: biological mechanisms – bioethical responsibilities
- 5 Fertility awareness: the ovulatory method of birth control, ageing gametes and congenital malformation in children
- 6 Understanding child abuse and its biological consequences
- 7 The state of wellbeing: basic principles, coping strategies and individual mastery
- 8 The state of wellbeing: on the end-of-life care and euthanasia
- 9 Current reproductive technologies: achievements and desired goals
- 10 The recombinant DNA technologies
- 11 Stem cells, nuclear transfer and cloning technology
- 12 Human-dominated ecosystems: re-evaluating environmental priorities
- 13 Human-dominated ecosystems: reclaiming the future for following generations
- 14 Human-dominated ecosystems: warfare = fitness enhancement or losing strategy?
- 15 Human-dominated ecosystems: reworking bioethical frontiers
- Further reading
- Index
9 - Current reproductive technologies: achievements and desired goals
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 17 February 2010
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- 1 Human origins, natural selection and the evolution of ethics
- 2 Sex determination, brain sex and sexual behaviour
- 3 Inappropriate lifestyle and congenital disability in children: basic principles of growth, toxicology, teratogenesis and mutagenesis
- 4 Substance abuse and parenthood: biological mechanisms – bioethical responsibilities
- 5 Fertility awareness: the ovulatory method of birth control, ageing gametes and congenital malformation in children
- 6 Understanding child abuse and its biological consequences
- 7 The state of wellbeing: basic principles, coping strategies and individual mastery
- 8 The state of wellbeing: on the end-of-life care and euthanasia
- 9 Current reproductive technologies: achievements and desired goals
- 10 The recombinant DNA technologies
- 11 Stem cells, nuclear transfer and cloning technology
- 12 Human-dominated ecosystems: re-evaluating environmental priorities
- 13 Human-dominated ecosystems: reclaiming the future for following generations
- 14 Human-dominated ecosystems: warfare = fitness enhancement or losing strategy?
- 15 Human-dominated ecosystems: reworking bioethical frontiers
- Further reading
- Index
Summary
A woman shall not be provided with treatment services unless account has been taken of the welfare of any child who may be born as a result of the treatment (including the need of that child for a father) and of any child who may be affected by the birth.
Lifestyle, fertility and the Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ARTs)
Modern developments in assisted conception and contraception have reinforced the idea that reproduction is largely a matter of choice. We are able to decide whether or not we wish to have children and, if so, under what circumstances. In many instances, having children is not necessarily the result of a conscious decision-making process. Social pressure, ambivalence, conflicting needs and simple socioeconomic disadvantage interfere with or confuse reproductive choice. Importantly, however, modern developments in technical control over the reproductive processes have increased reproductive options. These options have led to a new and unique therapeutic relationship in which important reproductive decisions are transferred to the medical scientists. Consequently, these physicians are called upon to assume a greater share of the responsibilities regarding reproductive matters. In turn, our own increased expectations have fuelled an escalating reliance on medical manipulations, which impact on ethical and social concerns. Reproductive choice should not be taken casually, as the main themes of Chapters 3 to 6 have tried to justify.
The origin of certain aspects of human fertility, development and offspring wellbeing centres on parental lifestyle and behavioural factors, while others are unexplained or attributable to changing environmental conditions. What is certain, however, is that ‘bearing a child’ means a lot more than just generating a child, and requires many skills.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Bioscience Ethics , pp. 145 - 170Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2009