Infertility and IVF

There has been an extraordinary ruling in the Supreme Court of Alabama. Early embryos used in IVF should be afforded the rights of children, protected by the State’s Wrongful Death of a Minor Act, the court declared.

The ruling was extraordinary not only because of its clarity, but also the Biblical and theological reasoning used to make the case. As Christians, we welcome the affirmation that human rights and personhood are rooted in Biblical foundations, namely that each human life begins at conception and we are made in the image of God.

It remains to be seen whether this ruling will have an impact on the practice of IVF and embryology outside Alabama. For us as Christians, this provides a welcome opportunity to revisit the ethics of IVF.

Infertility is painful, and a pastor may be unaware that a couple in the church are struggling in this way. While he may mention abortion occasionally in his preaching and teaching as the opportunity arises, he will rarely if ever speak about embryology or IVF. The infertile couple decides to see their doctor, who directs them to IVF as the recommended route to conceive a child. In the course of treatment, the Christian couple may express some ethical concerns. They may be reassured that their procedure will be carried out in a way which respects the life of the embryo, for example creation of only one or two embryos which will both be implanted. But is there such a thing as ‘ethical’ IVF? Is this a legitimate path for Christians?

There is not space here to lay out ethical arguments. That has been done elsewhere, for example by Chris Richards in ‘Foundations’ No.67 Autumn 2014, available freely online. He raises questions about: first, the context of IVF – using a technology which depends on massive loss of embryonic life; second, the risks of IVF entailed in conception in-vitro; and third, the objection that IVF removes conception from the divinely ordained context of loving union of husband and wife (see O’Donovan, Begotten not Made, Davenant Press, 2022). There is also a pastoral argument as we acknowledge the testimonies of emotional trauma of couples who have been through the IVF process and experienced its relatively low success rate.

These ethical arguments are difficult to engage with a couple who are in the midst of the painful struggles of infertility. We need to consider the issues in advance and develop an ethical and pastorally compassionate approach. We should also do more to explore natural fertility treatments, which can be very encouraging but lack the funding to support their development because of the focus of the medical and scientific community on embryology.

It is good to be prompted to consider these important issues. We should pray for those seeking to bear new life, and also give thanks for every child, regardless of the context in which they were conceived.