In Vitro Fertilization

What is in vitro fertilization?

"In vitro" literally means "in glass."

In vitro fertilization is a process whereby human life is generated in a laboratory environment like a glass petri dish.

There are five steps to IVF treatment: Stimulation – Women are given fertility drugs to

boost their egg production. Egg Retrieval – For the removal of eggs, a surgery

called follicular aspiration is performed on the woman.

Insemination and Fertilization –A man’s sperm is placed in a laboratory dish with the woman’s egg and stored in a chamber. Insemination is when the sperm and the egg combine. This process normally takes a few hours. The outcome is successful egg fertilization.

There are five steps to IVF treatment: Embryo Culture – The division of a fertilized egg is

called an embryo. Tests are done for a few days to ensure the embryo is safe and healthily growing.

Embryo Transfer – The last step in IVF treatment is that the embryo is placed inside the woman’s womb up to five days after fertilization in the laboratory dish.

In Vitro Fertilization Diagram

In Vitro Fertilization Diagram

What Causes of Infertility can IVF Treat?

When it comes to infertility, IVF may be an option if you or your partner have been diagnosed with: Endometriosis - is a gynecological medical condition in which

cells from the lining of the uterus (endometrium) appear and flourish outside the uterine cavity, most commonly on the membrane which lines the abdominal cavity, the peritoneum

Low sperm counts Problems with the uterus or fallopian tubes Problems with ovulation Antibody problems that harm sperm or eggs The inability of sperm to penetrate or survive in the cervical

mucus An unexplained fertility problem

IVF Success Rates

The most current data available in the United States a 2009 summary complied by the Society for Reproductive Medicine which reports the average national IVF success rates per age group using non-donor eggs

  Age <37 Age 35-37 Age 38-40 Age 41-42Pregnancy Rate

47.6% 38.9% 30.1% 20.5%

Live Birth Rate

41.4% 31.7% 22.3% 12.6%

Some of the IVF side effects are as follows: Stimulation Side Effects The drugs used to stimulate the ovaries may cause

abdominal pain and bloating. Ovarian hyper-fertility drug stimulation syndrome (OHSS) is a result of the ovaries becoming overstimulated.

Infertility treatments side effects from drugs can be mild or serious. While mild cases of OHSS are treatable, severe cases can be very dangerous.

Symptoms include severe abdominal pain, shortness of breath, dizziness; intense nausea, and rapid weight gain.

Egg Retrieval Side Effects A long hollow needle is used to retrieve the eggs. Your fertility doctor will let you know what to expect,

but some women experience cramps a few hours after the procedure.

If cramping becomes severe or bleeding occurs you need to seek medical attention.

Embryo Transfer Side Effects After the embryo has been transferred to the uterus,

cramping may occur. If cramping becomes severe or bleeding occurs you

need to seek medical attention.

Ectopic Pregnancy This abnormal pregnancy occurs outside of the

womb, after the embryo transfer. It is one of the serious side effects of IVF pregnancy. The ectopic pregnancy is potentially life-threatening

for the baby and mother. Symptoms include: abnormal vaginal bleeding,

amenorrhea, breast tenderness, pain on one side of the stomach or abdomen, severe nauseating and vomiting.

Ectopic Pregnancy

Disadvantages of IVF IVF is expensive The average cost of one IVF cycle in CARMI (Center for

Advanced Reproductive Medicine and Infertility), a flagship center of the St. Luke’s Medical Center- Global City, should be around P250,000 to P300,000 unless certain other services were added to the specific programs.

Risk of multiple birth and increased risk of miscarriage. A multiple birth, when more than one embryo is

transferred to your uterus. Many couples consider twins to be a blessing. But a multiple pregnancy increases your risk of having a premature baby or a baby with a low birth weight.

Birth defects. A review in 2013 came to the result that infants resulting

from IVF have a relative risk of birth defects of 1.32 (95% confidence interval 1.24–1.42) compared to naturally conceived infants.

In 2008, an analysis of the data of the National Birth Defects Study in the US found that certain birth defects were significantly more common in infants conceived through IVF, notably septal heart defects, cleft lip with or without cleft palate, esophageal atresia, and anorectal atresia; the mechanism of causality is unclear.

Emotionally straining.

Why is this wrong? It is a scientific fact that human life begins at

conception/fertilization. From conception, a human embryo has a complete genetic code and his or her growth and development is totally coordinated from within. Human embryos are human children--sons and daughters!

"Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person."

When this fundamental moral line is violated or obscured, categories of people become devalued and they become easily used for utilitarian purposes.

What about infertile couples who desperately want a child? No one has the right to a child. Even for the most loving

of couples, there is no right to a child through either normal conjugal relations or reproductive technologies.

In vitro fertilization turns children into commodities. When a couple undergoes in vitro fertilization, they are saying, "We want a child no matter what," and the child becomes an object. This evolves into a selective mentality, whereby couples choose the kind of child they want.

Above all, a child is a gift. Gifts should not be controlled or manipulated. Cooperating with God's plan for human procreation ensures that all children are accepted as gifts.

What happens to the rest of the embryos? Many embryos die in the transfer process since they

are fragile. Some embryos are unwanted and eliminated

because they are considered genetically inadequate.

Some embryos are stored alive in freezers. Some embryos are simply killed as they are washed

down the sink.

If in vitro fertilization did not bring death or harm to human embryos, would it be okay?

In vitro fertilization is wrong because it separates human procreation from conjugal union. In the process, couples make themselves the masters of human life instead of its stewards.

Conjugal union has both a unitive and a procreative purpose. In other words, conjugal intimacy is meant to express both love and fruitfulness.

Because the human person is a unity of body and spirit, both the unitive and procreative meanings of the conjugal act must be expressed spiritually and physically. The Biblical notion of "two in one flesh" (cf. Gen 2:24) has a concrete significance here.

Spousal union is expressed both spiritually and physically. And at the same time, the procreative dimension of conjugal union yields both spiritual benefits and physical fruits. When conjugal union is physically fruitful, a couple participates in God's creative act instead of dominating it

Sometimes an embryo will die in normal conjugal relations. Why is it a big deal if embryos die in the process of in vitro fertilization?

In normal conjugal relations, no one makes the intentional choice to cause the death or harm of embryos. With in vitro fertilization, there is an intentional choice to carry out a procedure whose consequences are known in advance.

How does marital integrity protect human dignity? Maintaining both the unitive and procreative

meanings of conjugal union guards against the demand for children as a right and the use of spouses for sex.

Respect for love and life as essential aspects of martial integrity helps ensure that spouses and children are appreciated as gifts. On a profound level, marital integrity is needed to protect human dignity.

Isn't adoption the same as demanding a child? Adopting a child is accepting someone who,

because of some unfortunate circumstance, needs a loving home. Adoption is a generous act focused on a child who already exists.

Using in vitro fertilization is not accepting a child as a gift, but rather manipulating a child into existence.