The diagnosis of infertility is unique amongst other medical diagnoses secondary to the bioethical considerations it poses for the patient. With few other diagnoses are couples asked to discern the appropriateness of interventions based on sound medical, moral, spiritual, psychological and financial criteria. For Catholics, moral theologians have looked at these treatment options extensively. The resultant bioethical guidelines help alleviate some of the confusion regarding appropriate options and thus can direct couples in their decision making. However, it is understandable that the limit on treatment options can cause many Catholics to be disappointed with their Church, lead them to lose hope and even turn away from their Church in this greatest time of need.
Even though the Bioethical Infertility Treatment Guidelines are difficult for many to follow, they are not based on an unwillingness of the Catholic Church to embrace science nor forward progress. Rather, the guidelines are based on a profound understanding of and respect for all life and for the sacrificial love present in married relationships. They are not directed from a heartless institution that is incapable of understanding the pain and loss experienced with the diagnosis of infertility nor from a desire that couples should simply learn to embrace suffering. Instead, the Catholic Church truly aches with those in this struggle but also understands the consequences that can result when many artificial reproductive technologies are utilized.
When discussing these complicated issues, it must first be expressed that no human being is a mistake. Regardless of how he or she was conceived, every child deserves our greatest respect as a unique individual being. Furthermore, it should never be assumed that the Catholic Church sees the couples who have participated in therapies contrary to church teaching as immoral. Even though not always expressed appropriately, there is great compassion and understanding regarding the desperate desire of a couple to experience fertility. Still, the Catholic Church feels obligated to provide direction on these very complex moral issues.
When evaluating a treatment option, preserving and respecting all life is the greatest concern. For this reason, any procedure that destroys an embryo, regardless of how far along it is, is considered unethical. Because a unique human being, with its own DNA, is formed right at conception (the joining of an egg and a sperm), the Catholic Church feels it is this moment a human life begins. Yes, this life cannot survive on its own and it certainly looks different from what we understand a human to look like. However, there is no other defining moment that separates the presence of a new life from the lack thereof—the remainder of human life and its development lies on a continuum with no absolute points of transition except when an egg and a sperm unite. Thus, at the moment of conception, all rights granted to other humans should be respected, including the right to life. Therefore, any procedure that destroys any embryos would not be considered morally sound.
The second principle used by the Catholic Church to evaluate medical therapies for infertility is the involvement of an outside technician or third party. Any procedure that assistsa couple’s sexual intercourse is considered ethical where any procedure that replacessexual intercourse are considered unethical. Once an outside technician is involved, the door to manipulation and selective parenting is open. A technician decides who lives or dies based on who looks fittest. Additionally, once the opportunity to interfere with and select for particular qualities exists, the door is open to creating a child engineered by the technician and family. This, of course, allows for the rejection of a human based on a disability, a limitation, a physical or intellectual trait, or gender. And if this is accepted at the prenatal level, these thoughts persist and even spread into our subconsciousness, affecting our treatment of humans after birth. Thus, the Catholic Church does not support any treatment option that utilizes an outside technician or third party.
The third principle the Catholic Church uses to determine if a procedure is bioethically sound is the belief that every child deserves to be created through a loving act, and furthermore, deserves to realize their identity by knowing who his or her parents are. The first point is obvious—of course, we want all children to be created through love. And many would argue that the love evident in couples creating a child through artificial reproductive technologies is equivalent to the love of a fertility couple and that their love far exceeds the love creating a child in a one-night stand, or even worse, rape. This is decidedly true, but the Catholic Church takes a stand against these situations as well. It is simply felt that a child, right from the beginning, should be created in a loving embrace and immediately held and nurtured in the very presence of its mother, not in a lab nor in another’s womb. The Catholic Church fully realizes that a couple struggling with infertility would want nothing more than to experience this natural embrace. However, the larger issue is that a child can then be created outside of love and thus the Church feels these therapies should not be considered as ethical options.
The last point addresses a fundamental desire within a human being to “know who they are”. Even if known, we often ask “where did I come from?” or “who is my mother [or father]?” Thus, for those who have no knowledge or connection to their parents, the lack of identity is quite powerful. Something deep within us needs these answers in order to experience wholeness. Certainly, the world is full of millions of children and adults asking these questions and suffering the pain of not knowing. Most of these scenarios cannot be prevented and must be compassionately acknowledged, rather than condemned. But to have an avenue to purposely create these situations causes great concern for the Catholic Church.
Infertility Therapies Considered Unethical
Artificial insemination by a donor
In vitro fertilization (IVF)
Zygote intra-fallopian transfer (ZIFT)
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)
Ovum donation
Surrogacy
Embryo adoption*
*Embryo adoption is an option many couples are considering when diagnosed with infertility. Certainly, it solves the problem of giving a home to the millions of embryos living their lives in a tube. At present, the Catholic Church has not taken a stand for or against this process. However, it is clear the Catholic Church feels this solution is not adequate in addressing this fundamental issue. The true problem is in the creation of these homeless embryos and thus, it is felt this is the area that should be addressed first.
Restorative Reproductive Technologies
Fortunately, there are treatment options for Catholics experiencing infertility. Rather than utilizing Artificial Reproductive Technologies (ART), the Church supports Restorative Reproductive Technologies such as NaPro Technology. In addition to being highly effective in treating infertility, the goal of NaPro Technology is to restore the body to support fertility on its own. Where ART therapies override the woman’s system, and fail to treat the underlying cause, restorative therapies go straight to the fertility wound. Truly, restorative therapies are science and medicine at its beset. f you are experiencing infertility, please do not lose hope and please consider connecting with a physician who specializes in NaPro Technology.
If you have a non-emergent, general question about infertility treatment options, please email info@teachmehealme.com. Although our physicians would love to assist everyone, we are unable to provide specific treatment recommendations to patients not under our care. So please remember to discuss any questions or concerns with your primary health provider.
