Abstract
Innovation is a key driver of care provision in assisted reproductive technologies (ART). ART providers offer a range of add-on interventions, aiming to augment standard in vitro fertilization protocols and improve the chances of a live birth. Particularly in the context of commercial provision, an ever-increasing array of add-ons are marketed to ART patients, even when evidence to support them is equivocal. A defining feature of ART is hope—hope that a cycle will lead to a baby or that another test or intervention will make a difference. Yet such hope also leaves ART patients vulnerable in a variety of ways. This article argues that previous attempts to safeguard ART patients have neglected how the use of add-ons in commercial ART can exploit patients’ hopes. Commercial providers of ART should provide add-ons only free of charge, under a suitable research protocol.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 30-41 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Hastings Center Report |
| Volume | 53 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Sept 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.Keywords
- assisted reproductive technologies
- bioethics
- exploitation
- hope
- physician-patient relationship