Biology Essay 21/05/19 Carlos Escobar Hemingway 9no Word count: 1227 To what extent does in vitro fertilization technique benefit society It has been more than 30 years since that the first “test tube baby” came to the world on July 25, 1978, in Oldham (England), Louis Brown. A “baby test tube” is a offspring who were born through in vitro fertilization, an assisted reproduction technique that, at that time, was a real revolution. IVF or also known as In Vitro Fertilization, is the artifidel union of the ovum with the spermatozoon in a laboratory, in order to obtain a already fertilized embryo, and then, transfer the fertilized embryo to the maternal womb to evolve and achieve a pregnancy. To carry out in vitro fertilization, the mother must do an ovarian stimulation treatment (Daily administration of a preparation to produce more ovules that those produced naturally). Once the ovaries are stimulated, the ovules are extracted and later, in the laboratory, the extracted ovules are mixed with the sperm of the couple or donor, and about 19 later it is observed if the ovum has been fertilized. Between two and five days after the zygote is fertilized, it is inserted into a very thin catheter that goes through the vagina to get it implanted in the uterus. Nowadays, the opinion on in vitro fertilization is very controversial. This is because there are many people who think that in vitro fertilization is beneficial for society, nevertheless, there are also many people who believe this technique is negative for society. Therefore, the aim of this essay is to demonstrate the truth of this technique and to demonstrate to what extent does in vitro fertilization technique benefit society. There are almost 50 million infertile couples in the world, according to a recent report by the “World Health Organization”1 (WHO), nevertheless, thanks to the technology of these times, infertility can be fought in different ways. One way that was revolutionary for the time in which it was created is the In vitro fertilization. The IVF provide hope for the couples that face many different causes of infertility (Women with damage or blockages in their fallopian tubes or men who have low sperm count or issues with motility). Furthermore, IVF allows the pre-implantation genetic screening, this in order to see embryo health by sequencing the DNA to determine if an abnormal chromosome is present. With the aforementioned, it can be state that thanks to the IVF it can help to conceive fewer children with genetic disorders or chromosomal abnormalities. Despite the information mentioned, in vitro fertilization has many negative and dangerous aspects. IVF technique have a lot of dangers, this is because, leaving aside the sentimental part and the fact that a couple could make a “happily family”, both the mother and the son could be adversely affected. During the process of this technique, the mother must go through an ovarian stimulation treatment, this treatment could cause the ovaries to function excessively. This is called ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. Due to the increased permeability of the vessels, fluid can accumulate in the abdominal space or in the tissues. Also, blood can get thicker and, in the worst case, blood clots can form. In addition, due to in vitro fertilization, it has been demonstrated that the mother is more likely to contract a multiple pregnancy (Look at annex 1), a case that could be very dangerous for both the child and the mother. Multiple pregnancies are associated in a 25% to premature births, 27% of newborns with very low birth weight, secondary to pulmonary and neurological alterations and their sequelae. Also, the Mothers with multiple pregnancies can acquire a propensity for complications of pregnancy such as: hypertension, gestational diabetes, complications of caesarean section, puerperal hemorrhage, uterine inertia with secondary hysterectomy and even death rarely. In vitro fertilization not only affects the health of people, but also throughout society. This is because IVF is a cause of overpopulation. And it is a fact that overpopulation is a problem today. Nowadays, the overpopulation is a 1 World Health Organization. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.who.int phenomenon that has many consequences on society, such as the depletion of natural resources, environmental degradation, increased unemployment (a high supply of workers for a limited demand for jobs has the effect of a high unemployment rate [Look at annex 2]), increased cost of living (few resources, lack of water, accumulation of many people in a limited space and lack of money causes an increase in the cost of living where only a percentage of the population can cover all their needs). The decision of a select group that can afford IVF affects the rest of the population that cannot afford IVF in an indirect way. For example, couples who allow themselves to conceive a child by IVF, are indirectly harming people with low economic resources. This is because if many peers conceive children by IVF, overpopulation is increasing, or in other words, unemployment and the cost of living are increasing. It can be speculated that the children who were conceived by IVF will not be affected by these IVF consequences because their parents could afford treatment, it is normal that they can give a good education to the child, giving them the opportunity to have a good job, and at the same time giving him the privilege of not suffering from unemployment or increases in the cost of living. With all the information gathered we can answer the research question. Although the IVF solves the problem of many infertile couples and thanks to this practice the risk of a newborn having genetic problems is reduced. They are not arguments with enough weight to say that the IVF benefits society if they are compared with the arguments that contradict it. Like the overpopulation, its sequels and risks of the IVF. In short, it can be said that the IVF does not help society much, this is because it is focused on a select group of people, without thinking about the consequences of this technique. Annexes: Annex 1: Research suggests that the high rate of multiple births in the US is due to more women use fertility treatments like in vitro fertilization. Source: National Vital Statistics Reports, “Births: Final data for 2013” Annex 2: According to the ILO (International Labour Organization): Bibliography: [1] Posibilidades y riesgos de la fecundación in vitro (FIV). (2019). Retrieved from https://www.serpadres.es/antes-delembarazo/fertilidad/articulo/posibilidades-y-riesgos-de-lafecundacion-in-vitro [2] IVF: Side Effects And Risks You Must Know. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.ndtv.com/health/ivf-side-effectsand-risks-you-must-know-1847285 [3]The Quality of Life in Pregnant Women Conceiving Through In Vitro Fertilization. (2019). Retrieved From https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4820176/ [4]The advantages and disadvantages of IVF. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.createfertility.co.uk/blog/theadvantages-and-disadvantages-of-ivf [5]Embarazo múltiple: ¿qué factores influyen en él y cómo se vive?. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.enfemenino.com/embarazo/embarazo-multiplede-gemelos-y-mellizos-causas-y-riesgos-s1481631.html [6]La tasa mundial de infertilidad sigue siendo alta (2019). Retrieved from https://www.invitrotv.com/la-tasamundial-de-infertilidad-sigue-siendo-alta/ [7]Benefits of IVF - The Fertility Institute New Orleans. (2019). Retrieved from https://fertilityinstitute.com/ourservices/in-vitro-fertilization/benefits-of-ivf/ [8]Kushner-Dávalos, L. (2019). La fertilización in vitro: beneficios, riesgos y futuro. Retrieved from http://www.scielo.org.bo/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S 1817-74332010000200006 [9]Causas y consecuencias de la sobrepoblación |. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.sostenibilidad.com/desarrollosostenible/causas-consecuencias-sobrepoblacion/
