Example Of Essay On This Reports Sheds Light On The Ivf Technology And Discusses

In vitro Fertilization

Abstract
In vitro fertilization or IVF has consistently drawn the focus of the public in general and scientific community in particular since its launching in 1978. Presently, the “Assisted reproductive technology” is accessible all over the developed world, and the practice has changed significantly. The constant improvement in the clinical lab technology has helped IVF in a safe, efficient and cheap process for the people who want to make use of it. Accordingly, over 2 million people have so far been born through this technology, and its appeal continues to grow.

Description of the stakeholders in the technology
Legal status of IVF in Canada and other countries of the world
Status of Public Policy of IVF debate in Canada and other countries.
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF): An Introduction
Infertility is defined as the incapability of couples to become pregnant following a year of insecure sexual intercourse while using no birth control procedures. It is in contrast to secondary infertility, which refers to the inability of maintaining a pregnancy until birth.
IVF was applied effectively in the USA in 1981. Over 4 million children are born all over the world through IVF methods. The technique presents a childless couple a prospect to have offspring who organically involves them. Presently, more than 1% of children born in the USA are due to pregnancy conceived by “assisted reproductive technologies”.
Below 5% of childless couples, in fact, utilize “In vitro fertilization”. It is usually the option of treatment for a woman with barren, critically harmed, or no “Fallopian” tubes. In addition, the technique is utilized to prevail over the childlessness created by the issues of the man's sperm. The couples who are unable to conceive and have resorted to other methods that have been unsuccessful can go for IVF.

“Egg Donation”

“Egg donation” is a result of IVF technology.  In IVF, several eggs are motivated to develop through hormone treatment and are then gathered from the woman.  In fact, the reclamation of the eggs necessitates the use of sedative drugs as they are detached with the help of a needle from the vagina. The matured eggs are later fertilized outside of the body and contributed to develop for some days. The resultant embryos are then placed into the uterus and are followed by placement and pregnancy if the process is successful.
The “egg harvesting” method created for IVF has later been utilized for the contribution of eggs.  The eggs donated from recognized or unidentified donors, can be used to triumph over childlessness in women who are deficient of ovaries; have reduced ovarian task; or have a hereditary syndrome or a past history of hereditary ailment.
“Egg donation,” nevertheless, is significantly more harder than sperm donation.  Besides the complicated process for egg harvesting, the eggs are less agreeable to be stored than are the sperms.  In contrast to the storage of sperm donations, no such store exists for egg donations.  Indeed, the eggs are utilized instantly following the retrieval and are fertilized in vitro.  The resultant embryos are more readily accumulated than eggs and can either be placed or stored cryogenically for a considerable period.
Various fertility hospitals in Canada have provided “egg donation” services.  The Canadian “Assisted Human Reproduction Act” bans the trade of “egg and sperm donation”, consisting of the payment of unspecified “egg donors”, in lieu of IVF services and the promotion of such medical services. 

Costs

The median cost/cycle of IVF in the USA is about $12,000 (Spar, 2006). As well, it has been predicted that truly creating a live birth as a result of IVF would cost a person between $66,000 and $114,000 (Peter Neumann et al., 1994). Just about 20% company-sponsored insurance covers IVF (See Dolgin, 2005). Therefore, without government intervention the majority of people would be compelled to deal with the high costs related to the IVF. As such, it is almost impossible to reach this technology for ordinary man.

Theoretical background

In fact, Infertility impacts about 18% of married couples. It consists not those who were incapable to conceive after years of experimenting, however, also those that are unable to conceive during the allotted term. Ever since the late twentieth century, the number of childless couples has risen (Winston & Bane, 1993). A number of analysts might claim that the rationale for it is that the figures only consist of couples who look for medical help to deal with the childlessness.
However, for the last many years the social behaviors towards medical programs for example IVF have altered. Hence, the infertile couples have become less hesitant looking for assistance that is shown in the proportion of childless couples enrolled by the hospitals. Nevertheless, the medical analysts were of the view that women in the modern times try to delay childbearing due to professional needs through contraception.
As a result, women get older when they begin to conceive a child. However, the older women have fewer chances to get fertile due to age-related genetic aspects. Because of various motives, the use of intra-uterine tools, there are growing number of women who experience pelvic inflammatory infection that leads to female sterility (Winston & Bane, 1993).
At the same time, for many childless men and women, being incapable of bearing children has been gravely disturbing and emotional results. The childless couples usually feel culpable, and lose self-esteem and self-confidence. Thus, for a number childless people, their circumstances impact their most essential feelings about their role in the families. Besides, it affects the individuals’ personal characteristics and the scope of accomplishment. Therefore, childlessness is considered a critical health issue. In addition, it enlightens the rationale that people who are unable to bear children resort to other ways with the aim to become a parent and enjoy their family lives.
In the earlier times, the couples who were incapable to conceive, turns to adoption to realize their parenthood desires. At the present, there exist a lot of alternatives for the childless couples. The crave for parenthood leads looking for other options that consisted of “Artificial Reproductive Technology”, “In-Vitro Fertilisation” and “Intra-Uterine Injections.”
Innovation in medical sciences and technology, especially in ART, for example “donor insemination and embryo transfer” techniques have significantly transformed the reproductive surroundings that led to a rise in recognition of surrogacy. Now, with the involvement of economic incentives for the surrogate children, the children have become a “commercial commodity”. Hence, there are many complications concerning the privileges of the surrogate mothers, the children, and the involved parents.

Surrogacy

Surrogacy is a process of reproduction by which the woman concurs to accept pregnancy and deliver the children for a contracting party. The Surrogacy agreement does not necessarily occur within a family. It may be done in the population, the state, the country and currently in the whole world.
As well, when it concerns to surrogacy, there exists a couple of forms presently applied by the medical professionals namely "traditional" and "gestational". “Traditional surrogacy” is carried out through insemination, in which mothers utilizing their eggs and another man's gametes. On the other hand, “Gestational surrogacy” is carried out through “In Vitro Fertilization,” in which the “fertilized eggs” from other women are placed into the mother’s uterus. The type of surrogacy to choose is one of the most significant decisions the parents have to undertake.
The critics of “traditional surrogacy” usually have a trouble with the hereditary relation between the surrogate mother and the child she perceived. The majority of “gestational surrogates” consider themselves never capable to surrender a baby that they believe hereditarily linked.
The advocates of “traditional surrogacy” usually claim that though there is a hereditary association, this relationship is not as significant as the linkage between the committed parents and their prospective children. In fact, those parents who opt “traditional surrogacy” frequently express their thoughts on the issue as being like “egg donation”. That is, there is a hereditary relationship, although that relationship is less significant than the relationship between the prospective parents and their likely children. However, a number of future parents are concerned about the legal consequences of “traditional surrogacy”; though that has never confirmed to be an issue (Weller, 2001).
The “Traditional surrogacy” was earlier the only method to conceive children through surrogate mothers. Ever since artificial insemination is trouble-free, painless, and considerably less costly than In Vitro Fertilization” the “traditional surrogacy” persists to be utilized by large number of people. In addition, another claim for “traditional surrogacy” is the lofty achievement incidents at the time surrogate mothers have demonstrated being fertile.
As well, generally, conventional surrogates do not need to be put on special medicines. By considering their menstrual cycle around they logically ovulate, is frequently sufficient. Nevertheless, in order to improve the prospects of twin or to modify the schedule of ovulation, a number of surrogate mothers do intake fertility medicines.
“Gestational surrogacy” in contrast is a more complicated and more costly procedure. However, the rationale that a growing number of future parents choose “gestational surrogacy” is for the reason that the process can present a feature that “traditional surrogacy” are unable to produce children which are hereditarily their own. Surrogate women can bear embryos that are generated from the eggs of mother and the sperm of father. However, in some circumstances the future parents are unable to create the needed “sperm and eggs.” In that case, the services of donors are required.
Though this process may appear uncomplicated, the relocation of the embryos necessitates intense medical involvement and lots of preparation for the experiment. In the USA surrogate mothers typically get regular injections for several days. Initially, the surrogate mothers’ “ovulatory cycles” have to be stopped. It is performed by the intake of birth control tablets. It is followed by “estrogen shots” to create her uterine lining. The surrogate mother should take daily injections of “progesterone” till she becomes pregnant as a result it can continue the pregnancy independently (Beski et al., 2000). The treatments usually have considerable effects the surrogate mother should prepare to endure.
As earlier stated, “Gestational surrogacy” is a costly procedure. In fact, every IVF cycle can cost a lot. Besides, the greater incidents of “miscarriage” amongst pregnancies realized this manner than via conventional methods. It there is an unsuccessful transfer the concerned parents have to wait for several months prior to the surrogate mother can go for relocation. Besides, the enhanced legal advantages of “gestational surrogacy” and existence of a hereditary connection, nevertheless, are normally healthy aspects for the future parents and surrogates who select this method.

Regulation of Surrogacy in Canada

The “Assisted Human Reproduction Act” does not explicitly ban the act of surrogacy. In fact, it forbids fee for surrogacy, either to the prospective surrogates or to a transitional arrangement of a surrogacy.  As well, it is presently prohibited to advise, stimulate or medically deal with a woman below the age of 21 to become a “surrogate”.  Fertility hospitals usually give advice to the customers to look for legal guidance prior to reaching any surrogacy contracts.

References

Beski, S., Gorgy, A., Venkat, G., Craft, I.L., & Edmonds, K. (2000). Gestational Surrogacy: A feasible option for patients with Rokitansky syndrome. Human Reproduction 15(11):2326-2328.
Dolgin, Janet L. (2005). The Evolution of the “Patient”: Shifts in Attitudes about Consent, Genetic Information, and Commercialization in Health Care, 34 Hofstra L. Rev. 137, 175 n.216.
Peter Neumann et al. (1994). The Cost of a Successful Delivery with In Vitro Fertilization, 331 New England J. Medi. 239, 239–43.
Spar, D. (2006). The Baby Business 213 tbl.7-2. Harvard Business Review Press.
Weller, J.I. (2001). Quantitative trait loci analysis in animals. CABI Publishing, London.
Winston, K. I., & Bane, M.J. (1993). Gender and public policy: Cases and comments, Boulder, CO: Westview Press, Inc.