Assisted reproduction. A social and moral approach

1. Entity type Lemma
2. Original titleΥποβοηθούμενη αναπαραγωγή. Ηθικοκοινωνική προσέγγιση
3. Language term Greek, Modern (1453-)
4. lemma author Katsiampoura, Gianna
5. lemma category Ethics - Scientific theories and disciplines > Biology
6. Publication date 27-11-2017
7. lemma work Φανάρας, Βασίλειος [Author]. Assisted reproduction. A social and moral approach
8. lemma manifestations Assisted reproduction. A social and moral approach - Athens: Palimpsest Editions, 2000.
9. Keywords assisted reproduction - ethics - Cloning
10. Citations
    1. <p>Fanaras, Vasileios, <em>Yποβοηθούμενη αναπαραγωγή. Κοινωνική και ηθική προσέγγιση</em> (<em>Assisted reproduction. A social and moral approach</em>), Palimpsest Editions, Athens 2000</p>
11. Lemma body

    1. In this book, Vasileios Fanaras discuses about assisted human reproduction and the orthodox christian ethics.

       During the last years many surveys and statistical works have been reporting the

       phenomenon of the reduction of human reproductive ability and about the

       consequences. However, the new achievements of contemporary medicine and especially

       of genetics can counteract the problem. Genetics offer the humans an opportunity to

       confront the problems of their infertility, in the lab.

       The Christian ethics is seriously concerned with the bioethical problems. A part of

       this set of issues is the assisted human reproduction : the artificial insemination and the

       in-vitro fertilization.

       In Greece and in other countries, where assisted reproduction is being practiced,

       a paradoxical phenomenon exists: a great number of women seek medical help

       in order to get rid of an undesirable pregnancy (estimated 200,000 per year in Greece),

       when at the same time, many other families spend a lot of money, time, pain and hope to

       make their dream for a child come true. For that, they seek refuge to various methods of

       assisted reproduction.

       The Orthodox Church has not adopted an official attitude on this issue yet. But.

       there is not an explicitly expressed position in Christian Ethics either. Yet. some

       Orthodox researchers work on this issue in order to formulate a specific position and

       perspective. The ethical evaluation become a difficult task under the light of continuous

       new discoveries in genetics, and change the existing data there . The lack of information

       and knowledge about the methods of artificial reproduction, often leads either to

       condemnation of the methods, or to their complete acceptance for the sake of

       procreation.

       Here the writer remarks that the homologous artificial insemination or the homologous in-vitro fertilization, that is the use of the sperm and the ovum only from the spouses, is one of

       the methods of assisted reproduction, which could be acceptable from a pastoral point of

       view, because the couple remains intact.

       In opposition, the intrusion of a third part in the process, heterologous fertilization, creates serious problems and objections for the acceptance of the method by the Christian Orthodox Ethics. The Orthodox researchers reject unanimously the heterologous reproduction arguing that the involvement of a third part creates a problem in the legitimacy of the couple and in its procreation. In fact, they see in this latter form of assisted reproduction a peculiar form of adultery and they even go so far as to speak οι Ά falsification of mankind.

       Human life is acknowledged and respected from the very first moment of the

       conception. For that reason the in-vitro fertilization cannot be automatically and easily

       accepted and very often the substitution of God by a specialist doctor is seen with

       suspicion.

       After an extended argumentation, the conclusions of Fanaras are the next:

       1. The increasing number of couples is related with the problem of the infertility.
       2. Since the issues of artificial reproduction are related to many subjects such as

       the respect of human life from the moment of conception and the sanctity of human

       person, Christian ethics should examine the new achievements of genetics carefullv.

       before pronouncing itself for or against it.

       1. People ought to be better informed. Media could plan an important role by

       presenting the new methods with clarity and accuracy without sensationalism, which

       hides «the truth of the facts».

       1. The reservations expressed towards the new biomedical achievements is

       understandable and natural. However, genetic science has a lot to offer. It would be fair

       to speak only of the dangers of cloning in humans and the experimentation on human

       embryos, when the many psychological and social problems pertaining to human

       infertility and sterility could be solved thanks the new medical achievements.

       1. Assisted reproduction could be acceptable from a pastoral point of view, when

       in the artificial insemination and in-vitro fertilization is used only the reproductive fluid

       from spouses and does not be created supernumerary embryos, who are usually

       destroyed after a long period of a cold storage. Wariness appears only on the way of

       receiving the sperm, but this does not consist an insuperable ethical problem.

       1. The use of a sperm donor or ovum donor creates unexcelled ethical problems

       for the acceptance of the methods of A.I and IVF. Furthermore when the problems of

       pregnancy are being solved with the surrogate motherhood, it is not be possible the

       acceptance of the methods.

       1. The methods of artificial insemination and in-vitro fertilization are not ethically

       acceptable, when they are be practised outside the barriers of a marriage, as it happens

       on lonely women or homosexual couples. Furthermore the use of i.v.f on the

       experimentation and on human embryos" research, on cloning and on eugenics, creates

       serious ethical problems.

       1. The future interest of an artificially born child must be the first concern of the

       whole procedure, than the therapy of spouses' infertility. The demanded social research

       for the advantage of the adoptive child in the procedure of adoption supports the above

       mentioned view. A proportional aspect must be practised to the assisted reproduction

       for the purpose of not seeing the phenomenon of a birth giving, from an old age parents.

       1. The orthodox theology offers the opportunity and demonstrates the perspective

       and scale for the confrontation of the infertility problems. When the God's will and the

       faith on His sovereignty does not be ignored from the marital spouses on their infertility

       problems, it is possible to find acceptable solutions for the attainment of artificial

       procreation.