Bioethics and new reproductive technologies - abstract. Arguments for a woman who wants to have an abortion

Most liberal legislation allows "question on request" (in a small group of countries)

Quite freely, laws allow abortion for numerous medical and social reasons (in six countries: England, Hungary, Iceland, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Finland).

Quite strict laws allow abortion only under certain circumstances: a threat to the physical or mental women's health, incurable fetal defects, rape and incest (in Spain, Portugal, Poland and Switzerland.

Very strict laws that either prohibit abortion altogether or allow it in exceptional cases when the pregnancy poses an immediate threat to the woman's life (in Northern Ireland, until recently in the Republic of Ireland and Malta).

If we talk about the world as a whole, then in 98% of countries abortion is allowed in order to save a woman's life, in 62% - in order to preserve her physical and mental health, in 42% - in cases of pregnancy after rape or incest, in 40% - due to defective fetus, in 29% - for economic and social reasons, in 21% - at the request.

Abortion is legal in the vast majority of countries, but the conditions under which it is allowed vary from place to place. According to a 2013 UN report, almost all countries (about 98%) allow abortion if it is necessary to save a woman's life.

In Russia, activists have repeatedly called for tougher abortion laws

Laws that do not provide for such exceptions have been enacted in Malta, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic and the Republic of El Salvador. Until recently, among the countries with complete ban Ireland also included abortions - life-saving abortions were allowed there in 2013.

In addition, nearly 70% of countries allow abortion to preserve a woman's physical and mental health. Abortion after rape is allowed in about 60% of countries, and more than 30% of countries allow abortion for social or economic reasons (poor financial conditions, disability, etc.).

In the United States, abortions are the strictest in Texas - they managed to impose severe restrictions on abortions. The authorities did not restrict women's right to abortion, but allowed only seven clinics to perform operations. The constitutional right to abortion was established in the United States in 1973.

According to the UN, in 30% of countries, including Russia, a woman's desire is enough for an abortion. Abortion can be done free of charge in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy at the request of the woman, the next 16 weeks, pregnancy can be terminated according to special indications.

In most European countries, the desire of the woman is also sufficient for an abortion in the first weeks of pregnancy, but this does not include, for example, Spain, Portugal and Finland. Russia has one of the most liberal abortion laws. Article 36 of the "Fundamentals of the legislation of the Russian Federation on the protection of the health of citizens" allows "abortion at the request" up to 12 weeks of pregnancy, according to social indications - up to 22 weeks, according to medical indications- regardless of the gestational age.

The child is protected from the moment of conception:

In 1987, the World Medical Association adopted a Statement on Artificial Insemination and Organ Transplantation (6), which called on all physicians to act ethically, showing due respect for the embryo from its inception.

Similar norms protecting the right of the child to life are enshrined in the fundamental laws of a number of states and are increasingly reflected in national legislation in more low levels. For example, in the United States, since 2002, the National Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) has defined a child as "an individual under the age of 19, including the period from conception to birth." Accordingly, unborn children are considered as citizens entitled to health insurance and medical care.

However, in most cases, the declared noble principles remain only on paper. The rights of the embryo to life and birth are to some extent protected only by the current legislation of Germany, France, Italy and Portugal.

Under Russian law, a person acquires legal capacity solely by virtue of birth. So, paragraph 2 of Art. 17 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation states: “The fundamental rights and freedoms of a person are inalienable and belong to everyone from birth.” In other words, before birth, a child has no rights and is in no way protected by law from encroachments on his life.

In France, the life of a child is protected by law after 10 weeks of pregnancy. In Denmark - after 12 weeks. In the state of Washington, life was protected after 16, and in Sweden - after 20 weeks. In New York, this limit was 24 weeks, and in England - 28. Currently, in the United States, life is legally protected only after birth (data from 1994)

Arguments for and against abortion

There are "supporters of abortion." This i.e. people who are in favor of allowing abortion, including those who themselves would not be able to make such a decision, but believe that a pregnant woman who is expecting a child has the right to choose for him.

The main argument of supporters of abortion is the issue of women's rights. They believe that it is the woman, as a mother, who has the right to choose the birth of a child. They also believe that abortion should be available at the request of the mother at any time during pregnancy. Of course, in some respects, the supporters of abortion are right, if we take into account abortions performed after cases of rape of women, after cases of incest; or in the event of a threat to the life of the mother during childbirth.

But let's not forget the other side, the so-called "anti-abortion" opposition to the pro-abortion movement. There are also disagreements among them. For example, some people may consider themselves "anti-abortion" even though they are "pro" of certain types of abortion. For example, we have already considered cases of abortion due to violence or incest. They believe that in these cases it is necessary to protect the physical and mental health of the expectant mother.

The main argument given by opponents of abortion to its supporters is: "And what are the rights of the unborn child?" This question, of course, can be interpreted in different ways, depending on when to start counting the origin of life. Most opponents of abortion believe that the life of an unborn child begins at conception and therefore no type of abortion should be allowed.

Many of them also believe that religion plays a big role in the debate about the ban on abortion. The same Christians claim that the Bible says that God knows the soul of every person before he is born into the world. Consequently, the soul of a person, his personality, is born before birth, and, observing the commandment "Thou shalt not kill", they call abortion the murder of a person.

Also, besides the issue of rights, there are other arguments in the debate about the prohibition or permission of abortion, which should not be left aside.

If the government of the country where the pregnant woman is located does not allow an abortion, then women, for various reasons, have to independently find ways to terminate the pregnancy. And since in this case the abortion procedures are illegal, the government and medical professionals cannot enforce the conditions for abortions. This is a huge problem for women going for an abortion. They must agree to "underground abortions." That is, abortions without appropriate qualified medical care and equipment. Many women died before the abortion procedure was legal in many countries.

Under what circumstances does a doctor have the right to refuse an abortion

Russian legislation does not provide for the doctor's right to refuse to terminate a pregnancy.

Enshrined in Art. 58 of the Fundamentals of Legislation on the Protection of the Health of Citizens of the Russian Federation, the right of the attending physician to refuse to “observe and treat” the patient can be exercised only if there are the following grounds. Firstly, such a refusal is admissible only in case of non-compliance by the patient with the prescriptions and internal regulations of the medical facility. Secondly, the doctor's refusal to observe and treat the patient should not threaten the patient's life and the health of others. Obviously, the doctor's unwillingness to kill the life that has arisen does not fit into the framework outlined by law of refusal to "observe and treat the patient." The fact is that in the event of an abortion we are talking by no means about the “treatment” of the patient, but about medical intervention, the possibility of refusing which on the part of the doctor is not regulated in the Fundamentals.

The doctor’s right to refuse to perform an abortion is directly enshrined in clause 6 of the WMA Declaration “On Medical Abortions” (Oslo, August 1983, supplemented in November 1983), according to which, “if personal convictions do not allow the doctor to perform a medical abortion, he must refer the patient to a competent colleague.” However, the indicated source, the Declaration “On Medical Abortions”, is ethical, not legal. However, in our opinion, there are well-known legal grounds for a doctor's refusal to perform an abortion. The fact is that in the domestic legislation there is a permissive principle, by virtue of which “everything that is not expressly prohibited by law is permitted”. In other words, the refusal to perform an abortion is not an illegal act, since such a refusal is not prohibited by the current legislation of the Russian Federation. However, failures of this kind do not occur in medical practice.

Formation of human organs

1 month (1-4 weeks).

Day 1 - fertilization.

Day 4 - the embryo consists of 58 cells and enters the uterus. The fetus and umbilical cord will develop from only 5 cells. The remaining 53 cells are needed to nourish the fetus.

Day 7-8 - implantation (more often in the area of the vessel lying on the surface).

7-14 days - the first critical period.

Day 9 - the fetal egg is surrounded on all sides by the mucous membrane of the uterine cavity.

Day 15 - the notochord and primitive intestines appear in the fetus.

13-18 days - villi are formed between the walls of the uterus and the outer membranes around the embryo. The formation of the amniotic sac begins, the placental circulation system develops.

Day 17 - the fetus reaches a length of 2.5 mm. Its body is arcuately curved and resembles the letter C.

Day 18 - the primitive heart begins to contract.

3-6 weeks - the second critical period.

2 months (5-8 weeks).

Day 20 - the rudiments of the spinal cord and brain appear.

Day 24 - the beginnings of the ears, eyes, thyroid gland, liver, lungs, intestines appear.

5 weeks - the umbilical cord appears.

Day 28 - the embryo has grown to 5-8 mm. The head is at a right angle to the body, future ears and eyes are marked with seals, there is a small tail, gill slits; on the limbs, future fingers can be considered.

5-6 weeks - limbs are actively developing.

Day 24-40 - active formation of the heart, organs of vision.

6 weeks - the embryo reaches 15 mm, the tail lengthens and bends.

7 weeks - the rudiments of teeth are formed. 8 weeks - well formed hands and feet.

28-49 days the greatest sensitivity to chemicals and poisons.

By the end of the second month, a human face appears in the fetus. The eyes are getting closer. They do not yet have eyelids and look huge. Very prominent forehead, large mouth, but lips are already appearing. The head straightens, the tail disappears, the limbs develop rapidly, the bends of the elbows and knees are already guessed. The stomach and intestines take their final shape. The cloaca is divided into two openings. The respiratory apparatus develops. The brain and heart are similar to the organs of an adult. The embryo straightens up. A neck appears, gill slits disappear, a tubercle appears between the lower limbs - the basis for the development of the genital organs. The embryo reaches a height of 3-4 cm and a weight of 5-9 g. The total volume is s egg. A face with a flattened nose and protruding lower jaw. The CNS develops. The gutter of the spinal cord closes. 97% of the embryo is water. A two-month-old embryo is called a fetus.

3 months (9-12 weeks).

From the third month, the organ of balance, the vestibular apparatus, begins to function in the fetus. The more the mother moves, the better it develops. The skin of the fetus is glassy transparent. upper limbs grow faster than the bottom ones. A three-month-old fetus acquires a characteristic human appearance. Its length is 9 cm, weight 45 g. The head and neck are straightened, making up half of the entire length. Well formed face. Blood vessels show through under the skin. The fetus looks lean, bones and muscles stand out under the skin, which does not have a fatty layer. The fetal skeleton is completely cartilaginous. The skeleton and muscles are so pronounced that the fetus makes its first movements - moves its arms, legs, clenches its fists, opens its mouth, swallows, tries to make sucking movements. The fetal heartbeat is heard - it is almost twice as frequent as that of the mother.

10 weeks - the genitals of boys and girls begin to differ.

12 weeks - vocal cords appear. Eyes approach, eyelids appear, develops eyeball, the mouth decreases, the nostrils are widely apart, the ears look like two slits. Fingertips harden. The liver and kidneys develop significantly. The first hairs appear - above the upper lip and above the eyes.

During the day, the baby grows on average by 1.8 mm, and gains weight by 1.4 g!

4 months (13-16 weeks).

Up to 15-16 weeks - active growth of the brain, which slows down the growth of the whole body.

4 months - the third critical period of fetal development. With a lack of vitamin E, a miscarriage can occur.

15 weeks - the male sex hormone - testosterone - begins to be produced. Women's - a little later. The differentiation of the genital organs ends. The internal genital organs are already partially formed.

In the fourth month, the skin color of the fetus changes. Glassy-whitish color becomes dull red. Small hairs appear on the skin.

A four-month-old fetus has a length of about 16 cm, weight is about 120 g. The brush of a four-month-old fetus is 1.4 cm.

Until the beginning of the fifth month, the main site of hematopoiesis is the liver, which grows very early and is already able to accumulate glycogen and produce bile.

The proportions are changing. The head seems smaller in relation to the body than before. The sebaceous and sweat glands, kidneys begin to function.

Meconium accumulates in the intestines.

Daily weight gain 2.6 g, height - 2.5 mm.

5 month (17-20 weeks)

Mainly formed nervous system, respiratory, hematopoietic and digestive organs. Marigolds begin to grow on the hands and feet. There is a deposition of subcutaneous fatty tissue, with the exception of the face, so the skin on the face of a five-month-old fetus is wrinkled, which gives it the appearance of an old man. By this time there is a sucking reflex. The growth of the head slows down; it already makes up a third of the length of the fetus. The hairs on the head begin to grow.

The length of the fetus is on average 25 cm, weight 300-400 g. The heartbeat of the fetus begins to be heard with a conventional stethoscope.

The weight of the mother by this period increases by approximately 4 kg.

6 months. (21-24 weeks)

The kidneys begin to secrete urea into the amniotic fluid and uric acid. The fruit is covered with thin delicate hairs - lanugo. A layer of subcutaneous fat is formed - the fetus becomes “more beautiful”. Growth in length slows down, but weight gain accelerates. By the end of the month, the fetus weighs 600-650 g and is about 30 cm long. The fetal hand is 2 cm. The face becomes more defined, the eyebrows are clearly visible, the nose pattern is drawn more clearly, the ears increase, the neck lengthens. The child wakes up and falls asleep.

Weight gain - about 10g per day!

7 month (25-28 weeks)

By the end of the seventh month, the length of the fetus is 35 cm, weight - 1300 g. Hair disappears on all parts of the body, except for the head. By this time, the development of the fetus is basically over, in boys the testicles descend into the scrotum, are well formed and the eyes open. The hair on the head is about 0.5 cm long. The fetus can still freely change its position. The fetus can hear, has visual perception, and can suck its own thumb.

Weight gain - 25 g per day!

8 month (29-32 weeks)

In the eighth month, the layer of subcutaneous fat becomes even thicker. The skin becomes lighter. The rate of development of the brain up to 33 weeks is higher than the growth of the body. By the end of the month, the fetus on average reaches a length of 40 cm, weight 1700 g.

9 month (33-36 weeks)

In the ninth month, the fluff that covered the baby's skin also disappears. The layer of subcutaneous fat grows, the skin is leveled. Getting a beautiful pink color. Brain growth slows down. But the growth of the cerebellum accelerates (therefore, premature babies are often clumsy for a long time.) By the end of the month, the child takes fertilized egg constant position, more often - head down. On average, a child weighs 2800, height is 46 cm. The heart beats at a speed of 120-140 beats per minute. The liver and lungs mature.

10 month (37-40 weeks).

By the end of the month, the fetus reaches an average of 52 cm and 3500 g. The length of the nails is longer than the fingertips.

Arguments for a woman who wants to have an abortion

If you have an abortion, you will hurt yourself more and take the life of a person.

Talk about the consequences

Possible childlessness

You can give birth and give the childless for adoption

Artificial insemination

Ethical issues in artificial insemination

Ethics artificial insemination- these are problems of attitude to the beginning of human life. But if in the case of an abortion, the doctor and the woman enter into a moral relationship with human life, even for a period of several days, weeks, months, then in the case of artificial insemination, this relationship is not so much with the beginning of an already existing life, but with the possibility of its very beginning. And if abortion, contraception, sterilization is a struggle against the emergence of human life, then artificial insemination is a struggle for the possibility of its occurrence.

Main ethical issues IVF technologies- this is the problem of the death of excess human embryos, the problem of the impact of the IVF procedure on a woman's health, the problem of the identity crisis of a child born in a test tube, the problem of surrogate motherhood and the most important problem - the destruction of a traditional family. The technology of artificial insemination inevitably generates the destruction of the traditional family.

Violation of the rights of the child

It is not the parents who participate in the conception of the child, but the medical worker, and therefore he cannot be fully called the child of his father and mother, especially if they were used donor materials. If the criteria are not met, the living embryo is destroyed and a new one is transplanted, which violates its right to life. The child becomes an object of contract and sale.

Violation of mother's rights

In the case of using a surrogate mother, she is deprived of her natural right to raise and raise a child born in the womb and born by her. There is a gross violation of the natural law: whoever gave birth is the mother. It turns out that you can endure and give birth to a child, but not be his mother!

The problem of biological and genetic parents, undermining the foundations of the family

IVF leads to the emergence of such concepts as biological and genetic parents. This is a violation of the natural course of things and the family. Usage donor eggs and spermatozoa is actually considered adultery in marriage, which is unacceptable from a religious point of view.

Embryo problem

Neglected during IVF natural law embryo for life, like a little man for early stage development. With IVF, the choice of a better embryo for transplantation into the uterus inevitably occurs. Extra embryos, especially if they are “low quality”, are destroyed, regardless of their chromosome set and viability.

The embryo can be sold, donated or destroyed at the request of third parties, as well as used for scientific or medical purposes.

Countries where artificial insemination is allowed, arguments for and against

Due to the numerous moral, ethical and religious aspects of this issue, the national legislation of most countries restricts surrogate motherhood. In some states (France, Germany) it is completely prohibited.

For residents of France, surrogacy is illegal because it is against adoption laws. It is not allowed in countries where the Catholic Church is traditionally strong.

In Germany, it is a crime to attempt to "perform artificial insemination or implantation of a human embryo in a woman (surrogate mother) who is ready to abandon her child after his birth." Here it is criminal to be both a doctor performing the procedure and actually a surrogate mother. Intended Parents are exempt from liability.

The same prohibitions apply in Greece, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Spain. In other countries, only commercial surrogacy agreements are prohibited and consideration under such agreements is not allowed. This is Canada. Israel, UK, Victoria (Australia), New Hampshire and Virginia (USA).

In Canada, a surrogacy contract is not legally binding, although it is not prohibited by law and is carried out by private agencies. At the same time, lawsuits on this issue are not considered in Canada, as well as in the UK.

Finally, third countries restrict the use of reproductive technologies in connection with surrogate motherhood (Denmark, Norway, Sweden).

Currently, most infertile couples childbearing age state quotas for the IVF procedure are allocated, this method of infertility treatment is available to everyone who needs it.

Of course, those couples who have the hope of becoming parents only in the case of IVF, warmly support this method infertility treatment. The same opinion is shared by doctors - gynecologists, as well as geneticists - in the process of IVF, the entire biological material undergoes a very thorough medical examination , and the birth of babies with genetic abnormalities, hereditary diseases or other pathologies is excluded.

Pregnancy and childbirth of a woman who became pregnant as a result of the IVF procedure, are no different from the pregnancy of a woman who conceived naturally.

However, the progressive direction of medicine - in vitro fertilization - has opponents. For the most part, IVF procedures are opposed by religious representatives of different faiths , including Orthodox activists. They consider this method of conception barbaric, unnatural.

In addition, as a result of growing embryos, some of them subsequently die - and this is unacceptable, in the opinion of representatives of the church, because it is the murder of already conceived children.

Stages of artificial insemination

The IVF process consists of several stages.

1. Comprehensive examination of the couple. Before starting treatment, it is worth finding out what the causes of the problem are. Some types of infertility do not need IVF, drug or surgical treatment is sufficient, it also happens that conception is impossible in principle, no matter how hard you try.

2. If IVF is advisable, a woman is prescribed hormonal drugs to stimulate the growth and maturation of several follicles containing eggs in the ovaries at once (usually 1-2 eggs mature in one monthly cycle). Ovarian stimulation is needed to obtain a supply of embryos for transfer to the uterus.

3. After the maturation of the follicles, eggs are removed from them under anesthesia with a special needle under ultrasound control. By this time, the man needs to donate sperm. If its production is impaired, spermatozoa are obtained by puncture or testicular biopsy.

4. In the embryological laboratory, a suspension of spermatozoa is prepared, which is used to fertilize the eggs in a special nutrient medium. In case sperm cannot enter the egg, there is again a solution: ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection). Using a glass microneedle under a microscope, a single spermatozoon is injected into the egg.

5. Fertilized eggs are placed in an incubator where embryo development begins. On the third day, when the embryos consist of only eight cells, they are transferred with a catheter into the uterine cavity of a woman for gestation. Usually, several embryos are placed in the uterus (according to Russian laws - no more than three) to increase the likelihood of pregnancy.

Child identity crisis

"Surrogate motherhood" (carrying a fertilized egg by a woman who after giving birth returns the child to "genetic parents"), even in those cases when it is carried out on a non-commercial basis, is unnatural and morally unacceptable. Traumatizing both mother and child, this method neglects the deep emotional and spiritual closeness that develops between mother and baby during pregnancy and provokes an identity crisis in the child (which mother is real?).

The use of this technology generates a significant number of contradictions. So, for example, one cannot but say that ART complicates the mechanism of self-identity in a child, which can lead to an identity crisis in the future. A situation is possible when there will be a "doubling into" biological "and" social ". In the case of in vitro fertilization, variations exist when one parent is doubled or both. Since the implantation of a fertilized egg can occur both in the uterus of a future social mother and in the uterus of a surrogate mother, the combinatorics is supplemented by one more element, thus, a variant is possible in which the child will have two fathers and three mothers. Three mothers and one father, or two on each side, etc.

Issues affecting ethical side IVF - perhaps one of the most difficult and not having clear answers. Like all global scientific discoveries (remember, for example, nuclear physics), reproductive technologies can serve both for the good and for the harm of mankind. On the one hand, their appearance allowed thousands of couples to become happy parents. At the same time, any reproductive technology is an interference with natural process the origin of life, and rather rude, posing a threat to the moral and spiritual integrity of society.

Medical and ethical problems of artificial insemination

The IVF technology itself today has been worked out to automatism, although in many respects the success of its implementation is the key to the experience and qualifications of the doctor. However, some questions remain open. First of all, these are problems of the status of embryos and the depreciation of human life by the opportunity to dispose of them. In this regard, two issues are particularly controversial:

Storage and destruction of embryos. Before doing it, the doctor prescribes hormonal stimulation to the woman in the form. As a result, up to 20 eggs can mature, which are fertilized in vitro. At the same time, no more than two embryos are transferred to the mother's body, the rest either die, are destroyed, or are exposed (at the request of the parents).
Reduction (removal) of extra embryos at the moment when they have already implanted and started intrauterine development. From a medical point of view, this is nothing more than an abortion, which is considered as a standard medical procedure, but at the same time can be perceived as murder. In addition, consent to reduction becomes serious psychological trauma for woman.

These questions are regularly raised in the medical environment, on scientific conferences and in the publications of reproductive specialists, philosophers, public figures, but there are still no answers to them, including at the legislative level.

The attitude of the church towards IVF

The opinion of world religions regarding the problems of in vitro fertilization is similar in most issues, but there are some differences.

Orthodoxy allows in vitro fertilization, but with some reservations. So, IVF is allowed only using the husband's sperm, while the use of donor genetic material (both sperm and) is condemned. The Orthodox Church calls surrogate motherhood, cryopreservation and reduction of embryos “morally unacceptable”.
Catholicism completely rejects in vitro fertilization, because as a result of the use of this technology, the child becomes a thing and the subject of a contract. It is known that in 2010 the Vatican condemned the award of the Nobel Prize to Robert Edwards, the creator of artificial insemination technology.
IN Judaism there is no single attitude towards IVF. In some communities it is forbidden, in others it is only allowed for couples who have tried all other methods of conception and

Ethical issues of IVF

The topic of this article is relevant and at the same time ambiguous. Because a rare woman does not want to give birth to a child and strives to use every opportunity to make it happen. On the other hand, and even with donor cells - how ethical and moral is that? The ethical issues of artificial insemination are of concern, and they are facing those who are going to use the IVF procedure.

Man is not only a biological being, but also a social one. Unlike an animal, a person does not just give birth to offspring and nurse him, but instills in him culture, morality, human qualities. Finally, a person has a conscience. But at the same time, people are different. Therefore, there can hardly be a consensus on the issue of artificial insemination (AI).

If we consider a person from a materialistic point of view, then he is a representative of the animal world. Therefore, like any representative of it, it seeks to prolong itself by giving birth to offspring. From this point of view, AI, artificial insemination is a great good, as it makes it possible to improve the reproductive capabilities of a person, increases the birth rate. And for a number of couples, this is the only opportunity to become parents.

But since a person is still not only a biological being, the question arises of how moral this is. After all, a human embryo is already a person, even though it has only one or a few cells.

artificial insemination procedure

Artificial insemination is carried out in several stages:

- the actual fertilization procedure;

Ovarian superstimulation is used to obtain eggs. hormonal drugs. This allows you to receive several eggs at once. This is done by medical specialists local anesthesia. The follicle with the egg is removed transvaginally using a special needle. The degree of readiness of the follicle is determined using ultrasound.

Spermatozoa from a man are collected non-sexually (by masturbation). It is also possible to use coitus interruptus.

After retrieval, the eggs are placed in nutrient medium and add sperm. After fertilization in this environment, 2-5 days, and then it is implanted in the woman's uterus.

The attitude of representatives of religions to IVF

If for physicians AI is one of the medical procedures, then for ordinary person there may be doubts about the ethics, correctness of artificial insemination. What do the representatives of religions say about this?

Catholicism.

It is clearly negative. Unnatural and unacceptable is the separation of sexual intercourse and the procedure for conceiving a child.

Christian Orthodoxy.

If the wife's eggs are fertilized by the husband's sperm, after which fertilization occurs outside the woman's body, followed by the introduction of the embryo into the same woman, there is nothing wrong with that. Such a conception, the priests believe, does not violate the integrity of the marriage bond and differs little from the usual, natural conception.

Along with this, germ cell donation options, as well as surrogacy family bonds violate. It is also not allowed to receive a large number embryos with their subsequent conservation and even more destruction. Human dignity is recognized for the embryo.

There are also Orthodox priests who do not accept artificial insemination in principle.

Judaism.

There is no unambiguous assessment. On the one hand, you need to fulfill the divine principle "be fruitful and multiply." And, if it can destroy a family, then IO and the possibility of conception are better than suffering further.

On the other hand, the fertilization of the wife's egg with the sperm of another man is equivalent to adultery if the woman is married. If a woman is not married, there is a violation of the institution of the family.

Some Jewish clergy allow the procedure for couples who do not have children, while others categorically prohibit it.

How to be?

We think that in the most difficult situations there is a way out and a choice to act as ethically and morally as possible in relation to oneself and others, including the embryos that are obtained during AI.

The ethical issues of artificial insemination exist because we are humans, not animals or soulless beings. And to the question whether or not to resort to the AI procedure, let each of the women answer for herself ...

- this is not a natural (artificial) method of conception. Many world religions believe that the IVF method violates human rights and, accordingly, is unacceptable for a believer.

So, according to his Social concept”, The Russian Orthodox Church disapproves of infertility treatments that result in the death of embryos, as well as the use of foreign eggs or a surrogate mother.

“The use of donor material undermines the foundations of family relationships, since it implies that the child, in addition to “social”, also has so-called biological parents. “Surrogate motherhood”, that is, the bearing of a fertilized egg by a woman who, after giving birth, returns the child to “customers”, is unnatural and morally unacceptable ... "

However, the ROC considers the fertilization of the wife's egg with the husband's spermatozoa quite acceptable.

The Catholic Church treats IVF more strictly and does not recognize reproductive technologies in any form.

According to the encyclical Humanae vitae II: “artificial insemination is contrary to the unity of the marriage union, the dignity of the spouses, the parental vocation and the right of the child to be conceived and produced in marriage and as a result of this marriage”

Among the followers of Buddhism there is no single point of view on IVF. Adherents of the traditional Sangha consider it unacceptable, while some schools welcome the fact that women can become mothers thanks to it.

The main ethical issues associated with IVF:

Dissociation of conception

According to the views of most religions, IVF disrupts the normal course of conception. In this case, sexual intercourse is replaced by technical actions. Sperm is obtained by masturbation, which is considered a sin in many religions. Sexual intercourse and fertilization are separated in time, and parents are not even present at the conception of their child.

All this turns a child in the eyes of believers from a gift from God into a thing obtained by technical actions. It is made “to order”, and in case of discrepancy, it can always be “reduced” (removed) in time.

Violation of the rights of the child

Parents are not involved in the conception of a child, but medical worker, and therefore he cannot be fully called the child of his father and mother, especially if donor materials were used. If the criteria are not met, the living embryo is destroyed and a new one is transplanted, which violates its right to life. The child becomes an object of contract and sale.

Violation of mother's rights

The problem of biological and genetic parents, undermining the foundations of the family

IVF leads to the emergence of such concepts as biological and genetic parents. This is a violation of the natural course of things and the family. The use of donor eggs and sperm is in fact considered adultery in marriage, which is unacceptable from a religious point of view.

Embryo problem

In the process of IVF, the natural right of the embryo to life, like a little man at an early stage of development, is neglected. With IVF, the choice of a better embryo for transplantation into the uterus inevitably occurs. Extra embryos, especially if they are “low quality”, are destroyed, regardless of their chromosome set and viability.

The embryo can be sold, donated or destroyed at the request of third parties, as well as used for scientific or medical purposes.

Introduction. One of the most urgent medical and demographic problems is the problem of infertility. Statistics show that the number fruitless marriages over the past decade has grown to 10-15%. The reasons leading to an increase in the number of infertile marriages are diverse. Along with the presence of genetic determinism of the series endocrine disorders leading to infertility, an increasing role is played by social factors and features of reproductive behavior - early start sexual life, multiple sexual partners, lack of contraception, delayed pregnancy. All of these factors can lead to infection, development inflammatory diseases pelvic organs and ultimately to tubal or perineal infertility. special critical period determining the health of the future generation is the period of development of germ cells - ovogenesis (eggs) and spermatogenesis (spermatozoa). Smoking, alcohol consumption, abortion can have an irreversible effect on the formation of female germ cells, which in the future will lead to the birth of a child with congenital deformities and infertility. One of the causes of infertility in men is oligospermia - a small amount of sperm in the seminal fluid. Stress and obesity, genital infections and hormonal disorders, antidepressants, marijuana and other drugs, alcohol use, reduce sperm motility, which ultimately leads to male infertility. IN Lately in funds mass media Increasingly, there are reports of in vitro fertilization as the most effective way fight infertility. aim this study is the attitude of high school students to assisted reproductive technology (IVF), issues of bioethics. The relevance of research. In the late 80s of the twentieth century. American obstetrician-gynecologist Bernard Nathanson made a film using ultrasound equipment. The film captures the behavior of the embryo during the operation. It can be seen how, anticipating a threat, a 12-week-old embryo opens its mouth in a death cry, how it rushes about, feeling mortal danger like trying to run from surgical instrument, as his heart beats from 140 to 200 beats per minute. Many doctors, after watching the film, revised their views on this problem and refused to perform abortions. In Russia, according to average statistics, 24 abortions are performed per 1,000 women. And there is no publicly available data on the destruction of "extra embryos" during in vitro fertilization, and, apparently, no one keeps such statistics. The subject of the study is the attitude of students 11 MBOU classes Secondary school No. 34 to IVF when conducting oral journals "Abortion and its consequences", "Sexually transmitted diseases" ("STDs"). Materials and research results. Consider the mechanism of artificial insemination of a female egg using donor sperm - in vitro fertilization. In 1944 Hamilton (USA) begins the first attempts to fertilize human eggs outside the body, in 1954 G.N. Petrov (USSR) described in detail all the stages of fertilization and crushing of the female egg. In 1960, the British scientist Robert D. Edwards found that the maturation of female eggs in vitro occurred within 36-37 hours and received Nobel Prize. In 1978, Louise Brown was born in the UK, the first person "conceived in a test tube", in the Soviet Union, the first child (girl) was born in February 1986. In 2010, there were 4 million children "conceived in vitro" on our planet. Indications for the IVF procedure are various forms male and female infertility. One of the causes of infertility - abortion Abortion has always been considered immoral from a bioethical point of view. Consider the issues of in vitro fertilization and the IVF mechanism, the eggs are fertilized in vitro, and the resulting embryos after 2-5 days are planted in the woman's uterus. As a rule, several embryos are transferred to increase the chance of pregnancy, and the so-called "extra" embryos are destroyed and sometimes frozen to be used for repeated attempts. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of infertility treatment by the extracorporeal method is low. Approximately one in four patients completes treatment with the birth of a child. In 2013, it was recorded that 36.6% of patients became pregnant, 25.8% gave birth to a child. Further technologies for the development of in vitro fertilization are related to questions: the attitude of the church, the attitude of society, moral aspects attitudes towards children in vitro. IVF meets opposition different religions, for example, the Christian one considers the method of in vitro fertilization to be unnatural and antimoral, therefore it rejects it in all its aspects, states that “this practice opens the way for humanity to such an abyss as ectogenesis, transplantation of human embryos into animals, cloning, embryonic biopsy, replacement of the embryonic nucleus with a nucleus taken from an adult, not to mention the so-called preventive medicine". Society's attitude towards in vitro fertilization is also ambiguous, for example, in Israel, Belgium, Greece, Slovenia, Sweden, everything is thought out at the state level (you can make 7 attempts for free), in Costa Rico it is prohibited at the state level, it is considered a violation of the right to individual freedom. In Russia, according to ethical standards, patients hide their diagnosis, infertility, and try not to talk about the IVF procedure (the procedure itself costs from 120-200 thousand rubles). “Children from a test tube” are at risk by default. According to some reports, they are at high risk of developing chronic diseases And various pathologies. The chief pediatrician of Russia, Alexander Baranov, believes that the use of in vitro fertilization increases the risk of having children with developmental defects. About 75% of children born "from a test tube" are disabled, and IVF deprives women of their health (it is not always possible to get pregnant from the first puncture, and even hormonal system subjected to very heavy loads). Conclusion: we do not create life: it is only transmitted through us, embedded in the seed and egg, passing through the newly formed genetic code. The source of life lies not in us, but in fatherhood and motherhood, even when it comes to one or more cells, they already contain the entire genetic code of the future person, his gender, mentality, character, which will develop, the freedom with which he will forge his path in life, as well as a succession of generations, which he, in turn, must give life. This cell is already a person, so the destruction of the embryo is the murder of a person, so the opinion of high school students is divided, more than 50% believe that IVF is immoral.