Assisted Reproductive Technology Essay -- Science Reproduction Pregnan

Assisted Reproductive Technology In the United States in the year 2001, 40687 babies were born as a result of 107587 assisted reproductive technology (ART) procedures (Wright, et.al, 2004). It has been estimated that one in six couples in the United States experiences some difficulty conceiving a child, and that 8.5% of married couples (2.3 million couples) in the U.S. are, in fact, infertile (Kilner, et.al, 2000; Wekesser, et.al, 1996). Assisted reproductive technology is becoming more widely available and efficient. In The Reproductive Revolution, it is stated that â€Å"considering the various configurations and technologies, there are at least thirty-eight ways to ‘make a baby’ today† (Kilner, et.al, 2000). But along with these innovations come many questions concerning the possible applications of these procedures. With the breadth and complexity of reproductive technology available today, it is important to explore not only the biological, but also the social and ethical implications of the se procedures. Procedures and Methods of Assisted Reproductive Technologies Artificial Insemination Artificial insemination is easily the oldest and simplest form of reproductive technology – it has been used for over a century. In this procedure, sperm, obtained through a donation of semen, are artificially introduced into the uterus to fertilize an egg that has been released naturally. Historically, this has been a very confidential procedure; anonymous donors are used, and often even the resulting children are unaware that they have different genetic and social fathers. The first sperm bank was established in the year 1950, and it is estimated that there could be around one million donor insemination adults in the United Sta... ...: Feminist Perspectives. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press. Cohen, C.B. (1996) New Ways of Making Babies: The Case of Egg Donation. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press. Kilner, J.F., P.C. Cunningham, and W.D. Hager. (2000) The Reproduction Revolution: A Christian Appraisal of Sexuality, Reproductive Technologies, and the Family. Grand Rapids, Michigan and Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. Strong, Carson. (1997) Ethics is Reproductive and Perinatal Medicine: A New Framework. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. Wekesser, C., et.al. (1996) Reproductive Technologies. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press. Wright, V.C., et.al. (2004, April 30) Assisted Reproductive Technology Surveillance --- United States, 2001. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Surveillance Summaries. 53 (SS01), 1-20. Assisted Reproductive Technology Essay -- Science Reproduction Pregnan Assisted Reproductive Technology In the United States in the year 2001, 40687 babies were born as a result of 107587 assisted reproductive technology (ART) procedures (Wright, et.al, 2004). It has been estimated that one in six couples in the United States experiences some difficulty conceiving a child, and that 8.5% of married couples (2.3 million couples) in the U.S. are, in fact, infertile (Kilner, et.al, 2000; Wekesser, et.al, 1996). Assisted reproductive technology is becoming more widely available and efficient. In The Reproductive Revolution, it is stated that â€Å"considering the various configurations and technologies, there are at least thirty-eight ways to ‘make a baby’ today† (Kilner, et.al, 2000). But along with these innovations come many questions concerning the possible applications of these procedures. With the breadth and complexity of reproductive technology available today, it is important to explore not only the biological, but also the social and ethical implications of the se procedures. Procedures and Methods of Assisted Reproductive Technologies Artificial Insemination Artificial insemination is easily the oldest and simplest form of reproductive technology – it has been used for over a century. In this procedure, sperm, obtained through a donation of semen, are artificially introduced into the uterus to fertilize an egg that has been released naturally. Historically, this has been a very confidential procedure; anonymous donors are used, and often even the resulting children are unaware that they have different genetic and social fathers. The first sperm bank was established in the year 1950, and it is estimated that there could be around one million donor insemination adults in the United Sta... ...: Feminist Perspectives. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press. Cohen, C.B. (1996) New Ways of Making Babies: The Case of Egg Donation. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press. Kilner, J.F., P.C. Cunningham, and W.D. Hager. (2000) The Reproduction Revolution: A Christian Appraisal of Sexuality, Reproductive Technologies, and the Family. Grand Rapids, Michigan and Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. Strong, Carson. (1997) Ethics is Reproductive and Perinatal Medicine: A New Framework. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. Wekesser, C., et.al. (1996) Reproductive Technologies. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press. Wright, V.C., et.al. (2004, April 30) Assisted Reproductive Technology Surveillance --- United States, 2001. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Surveillance Summaries. 53 (SS01), 1-20.