Very much depending on the country, culture, beliefs or religion, and so on, certain fertility treatments raise quite a number of ethical questions.
On the “highest” level there are those who find that any external interference of human beings in the process of procreation is unethical. That is, any pregnancy that comes about without direct sexual intercourse would be amoral, going against the laws of Nature or God.
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With others, objections may play on entirely different levels. For instance, is it okay to freeze sperm, eggs, or embryos, and moreover, destroy them when not deemed necessary any longer? Or, should it be allowed to choose eye color, hair color or gender of your future child? Is it okay to scan embryos on genetic characteristics or “failures” and destroy them if they don’t “qualify”?
Others again think that having a baby should only be for mixed gender couples and that singles or LGBT couples shouldn’t be allowed to be helped with fertility treatments or be adoptive parents, and such. And some may object to the phenomenon of so-called gestational carriers, that is, surrogacy mothers.
The sort of questions mentioned above can raise intense discussions and protests in society, and no matter what one thinks of certain issues, these are topics that are important for many people and give rise to strong emotions, anger, sorrow or grief.
Ethical questions around fertility i.e. infertility are an ongoing debate, and with the advancement of medical technology and its application in fertility treatments, consensus and the end of questions raised seems farther and farther away.
