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/
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