Bioethical Issues Concerning Fertility Drugs

I have close friends who are a part of the 2.1 million infertile couples in the United States (Fertility 1995). When they started the long and very expensive road of "ART" (Assisted Reproductive Technology), I gave little to no thought about the bioethical issues concerning it. I like most, I was hopeful soon they would have a little one to call there own. They were unsuccessful and have adopted two lovely girls, but looking back what if the would have got pregnant early on what would have happened to the eggs that they had in storage? Or what if they had multiple successfully fertilized eggs in the womb? With the use of fertility drugs the rate of multiples births are on the rise.

The number of multiple births in the United States increased 19% from 1980 to 1994, during this time fertility drugs became a common choice for infertile couples (Mader, 2004). On the surface, there seems to be no problem with parents having triplets, quadruples or more, but we all know that with the increase of even one child in the womb, the risk for complications increase. Most multi-birth children suffer from low birth weight, premature delivery, and development disorders. Some are looking to lower the risk of multiple births, but is this an ethical practice? If we look to the bible for guidance, it is not, even if the child or children have a disability. The handicapped child is still human, still made in the image of God. It is a mystery of providence that God sovereignty makes some of us particularly disabled. Nevertheless, we should bear in mind John 9:1-3. Second, all such disabilities will disappear in that Great Day (Isaiah 35:5-6). Now knowing some of the word, the process used by some to lower the number of multiple births is by puncturing the unborn's heart, in the utero, this is abortion. What to do about multiple births is not the only ethical question with ART. But if couples are blessed and are given a child from the process of