Declining Birth Rate and Increasing Population Worldwide Increases Demand for Various Human Reproductive Technologies

 

Decline birth rate worldwide has led to increasing adoption of various the human reproductive technologies. For instance, according to the World Bank, Japan’s birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people) decreased from 8.413 in 2005 to 7.4 in 2018. On the other hand, increasing population has also led to approval and launch of contraception products. In May 2020, Evofem Biosciences, Inc. received the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for Phexxi (lactic acid, citric acid and potassium bitartrate) vaginal gel used to prevent pregnancy in females of reproductive potential for use as an on-demand method of contraception.

As the use of the human reproductive technologies advances, there is increasing concern about ethical issues surrounding these medical interventions. While the use of fertility medication has been approved by the FDA, there are still questions about how to regulate it because of the fact that it is not a prescription and because of the inherent risks associated with using the technology.

The first thing that we need to recognize is that the technology of artificial insemination has been around for decades. The only difference today is that we now have the ability to use the technology to assist in the process of getting pregnant. The goal of fertility medication is to help women who are having trouble getting pregnant to be able to conceive naturally. However, the questions arise about whether or not the use of fertility medication should always be relegated to those who are having reproductive issues that are not being caused by medical conditions.

One of the biggest debates is between those who support the use of in vitro fertilization and those who are against it concerning the ethics of the procedure. The pro-in vitro fertilization camp states that the procedure is entirely ethical because there are no living people that are being fertilized in the procedure. The main concern comes from the fact that there is no way to know what type of embryo would end up being used in the procedure. Some argue that there are still problems with the use of in vitro fertilization (AIF) despite the fact that there have been several guidelines set forth by the FDA.

There have also been questions surrounding the use of the procedure in certain circumstances. For instance, if a woman's chances of becoming pregnant with a boy are greater than her chances of becoming pregnant with a girl, then artificial insemination with a boy may be considered a viable option. This is known as gender selection. Additionally, some groups have argued that artificial insemination with sperm from the male partner will create a stronger future sperm for the female. However, it is also important to note that there is a strong genetic component when it comes to determining the gender of an infant.

Another issue that is frequently brought up regarding the use of in vitro fertilization is the fact that there is no way to guarantee the successful pregnancy that occurs after the procedure. There have been reports over the years where in vitro fertilization performed on healthy donors has resulted in live births. Still, it is possible for the pregnancy to fail either through the failure to implant the embryo or due to some damage done to the eggs or uterus. In these cases, in vitro fertilization could be considered as a waste of time. This is especially true in the case of those who have already been able to achieve pregnancy using other fertility treatments.

As more couples turn to fertility treatments that use in vitro fertilization, there will continue to be improvements made in the field. The time needed for in vitro fertilization to work is now only a matter of days rather than months or years. The costs of the procedure have become much more affordable in recent years as well. It is likely that these trends will continue as more couples turn to new and innovative methods to get pregnant.