SWA #16

IVF

1) Van Voorhis, Bradley, MD. "In Vitro Fertilization."  New England Journal of Medicine, January 25, 2007.

     

     The article discusses the basic practices, ethical standards, and reasons for the medical practice, as well as the complications that are involved. Risks, areas of uncertainty, and strategies for the procedure are examined. Dr. Van Voorhis assumes that the reader has a basic understanding of the female pregnancy cycle, the fertilization process, and medical terms that, for the common person, are relatively simple to understand. He assumes no bias in his article (the article does not favor or condemn IVF). In addition, Dr. Van Voorhis gives data supporting his credibility within his article, as well as sources for his work.

2) "In Vitro Fertilization." How-to-concieve.org. September 6, 2010

     This website is a guide for couples on how to conceive a child; the website's section of IVF is a summary of the practice of IVF, as well as a real-life story on a couple who conceived children via this process. The article goes into detail about the legal aspects of the practice-how embryos not used in the medical procedure are often thrown away or used for research, a practice that violates the moral codes of many religious and ethical groups (I.E. the Catholic Church). The costs for both the couple and the government are discussed, as well as the different regulations IVF faces in the US and in Europe.

Keywords

• Infertility
• Sterile
• Test Tube
• Catholic Church
• Ethics
• Procedure
• Embryo
• Sperm
• Zygote

http://www.hfk2.org/homilies/10-02-2011.pdf

http://inconceivablebook.com/blog/catholic-whispers/

•  "Therefore, IVF is a mortal sin in the same way that pre-meditated murder, rape and torture are mortal sins."
•  "But how do I seek forgiveness for conceiving my children?  If their conception was immoral, what does that say about their souls? I understand the doctrine, but am confused by its necessity.    Isn’t the creation of a loving Catholic family more important than the sexual act?"
• Congratulations on your twins! Even though the Catholic Church doesn’t agree, doesn’t mean God agrees with the Catholic Church. God always has a plan. This is his plan for your family. Don’t let anyone take your joy away. This is your gift for the most precious gift you gave when you handed Logan over to his parents. As I sit here and write this my own daughter and son in law are going through IVF. We are praying and hopeful. She is a pediatric nurse in the Philadelphia area. She has taken care of babies who have parents that have beat, burned, sexually asaulted, and just neglected them. One time she cried as she held a 9 week old who had been thrown against the wall and every bone broken in her little body.The baby cried every time she was moved. I asked her how she can do what she does. She told me that some of these babies have never been loved or shown kindness and if she can provide that even for a short time it keeps her going back to work everyday. Still she can’t get pregnant on her own. She questions the fairness of it all. At times I know she’s angry with God. How can so many babies suffer and be given to parents who don’t even want them when she could provide such a loving home? So you see there is so much contradiction in life. What you have to remember is if God didn’t mean for it be, it wouldn’t be happening. There woudn’t have been the medical science to learn how to do IVF. There is nothing wrong about a family who want to have a baby, can provide a loving home, and will do anything to make that happen. Please keep these things in mind when you hear the wispers. Much happiness and health to you and your family!! God Bless you all!