IVF

       I believe that the main pro of in vitro fertilization (IVF) is that parents who are originally unable to conceive have the opportunity to experience parenthood and bring new life into the world. However a major con of this process, is that unused embryos are typically disposed. Catholic teaching states that human life begins at the moment of conception, when the egg and sperm unite to form an embryo. In IVF that union occurs in a petri dish. When doctors create these unions, several embryos are formed, but the ones that go unused are either frozen or destroyed. For the Church, the destruction or demise of an embryo during the IVF process is the unnatural ending of a human life, similar to an abortion. Additionally, treatments such as IVF can be extremely expensive. In the article, the Burnetts went through IVF 11 times at a total cost of more than $100,000, with no success. They spent so much of their money on a procedure that did not even reward them with a child.
       I think the Church makes several valid points in their teachings on IVF. Dignitas Personae, particularly, explains that all IVF procedures threaten or actually end the life of an embryo. However, I cannot help but put myself in the shoes of the infertile parents. If I were ever in such a predicament, I think that IVF may be a viable option for myself and my spouse. God put men and women on this Earth to spread His message of unconditional love through procreation. If I was biologically unable to have a child of my own, I would want to use the science available to fulfill God's vision. After all, He must have created the men and women who invented the science behind IVF.
       The cost of IVF somewhat impacts my opinion on the morality of the practice. Because the procedure is so expensive, only very wealthy couples can afford to create a child of their own through medical means. Middle-class and poorer couples cannot pay for such an exorbitant process. Does this mean that only wealthy infertile couples should be able to have children of their own? If a couple wants to have a baby that is biologically their own, they should have access to every means available, regardless of their financial status.