In vitro fertilization (IVF) has been the subject of moral and ethical debates since July 25, 1978. It was the date when Louise Joy Brown, the first successfully born baby under the procedure, was introduced to the world. The debates continued to rage when IVF became a vehicle for gestational surrogacy. It is an accepted fact, however, that, for a woman with a damaged uterus, underlying heart condition, or who went through a hysterectomy, IVF and surrogacy may be her only chance to have kids.
IVF is one of the more popular forms of assisted reproductive technology (ART). It involves a minor surgical procedure called follicle aspiration to remove a woman’s eggs from her ovary. The eggs are made to undergo fertilization in a laboratory setting. The resulting embryo is inserted back into the womb 3 or 5 days after. In gestational surrogacy, the surrogate woman receives the embryo in her womb instead of the woman who was the source of the aspirated eggs. The surrogate woman or birth mother carries the child in her womb until its birth. She releases the baby to the biological parents, afterward, following their surrogacy contract.
It is reported that about 750 babies are born every year through gestational surrogacy. With this number of births, it is safe to say that both gestational surrogacy and IVF are here to stay. Though hounded by controversy at every turn, they have become a source of hope for women who cannot conceive naturally.
by Dr. Barry Verkauf, author of the book, Sex, Science, Society, and Reproduction: The Pill that changed America
