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Semin Reprod Med 2002; 20(1): 075-084
DOI: 10.1055/s-2002-23521
Copyright © 2002 by Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc., 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA. Tel.: +1(212) 584-4662

Cryobiology Ethics of Human Reproduction

G. Bahadur
  • Fertility and Reproductive Medicine Laboratories, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Royal Free & University College Medical School, London, United Kingdom
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Publication History

Publication Date:
02 April 2002 (online)

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ABSTRACT

The article surveys the ethical and social issues that arise from recent developments in assisted reproductive technologies (ART) involving cryotechnology and argues that practitioners must understand ethical as well as technological issues. It discusses the risks associated with ART and the importance of the need to inform patients of them so that they can make considered decisions. It considers problematic areas in the use of ART, particularly the case of lesbian women who wish to conceive. It offers a philosophical definition of ethics and a framework for defining ethical, and unethical, clinical practice. It advocates a utilitarian approach to moral problems, one that attends to the moral consequences of actions. It examines the complex way that morality, law, and ethics interact and refers to controversial legal decisions in the United Kingdom concerning ART. This article considers the various rights (of donors, prospective parents, and offspring) that need to be taken into account by practitioners of ART.

KEYWORD

Morality - law - rights - autonomy - consent - cryoethics - reproduction - cryotechnology

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