GCSE Biology (AQA)

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The Ethics of IVF

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Homeostasis and Response Hormonal Coordination in Humans

The Ethics of IVF

3:07 Hormones Treating Infertility
Spec 4.5.3.6
Previous In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) Next Plant Tropisms
  • IVF has associated social and ethical issues.
  • IVF is available on the NHS only if specific criteria are met, such as age and duration of trying to conceive.
  • Those not meeting NHS criteria must pay for private treatment, which is very expensive.
  • Embryonic screening during IVF can detect genetic disorders but raises ethical concerns about the value of lives with genetic disorders.
  • Disorders screened include cystic fibrosis and chromosomal abnormalities like Down syndrome.
  • Concerns exist about IVF leading to designer babies, where embryos are selected for specific traits like gender, eye color, or disease resistance.
  • In the UK, selecting embryos based on sex or other non-health-related traits is illegal.
  • Ethical issues also arise regarding the fate of unused embryos, which can be donated to science, other parents, or destroyed.
  • Unused embryos are often seen as potential lives, making their destruction a point of ethical contention.
  • IVF and embryonic research are argued to benefit many people and allow various family formations.

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