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June 18, 1982, Vol 247, No. 23 >
ARTICLE | June 18, 1982

Human In Vitro Fertilization: Title and subTitle BreakA Conservative View FREE

Hans O. Tiefel, PhD
[+] Author Affiliations

Reprint requests to the Department of Religion, the College of William and Mary in Virginia, Williamsburg, VA 23185 (Dr Tiefel).


JAMA. 1982;247(23):3235-3242. doi:10.1001/jama.1982.03320480051026
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References

Ethical objections to both the means and ends of clinical in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer, as well as of nonclinical applications, are analyzed and evaluated. Morally important but inconclusive arguments consider these procedures to be unnatural or harmful to women. The decisive objection to clinical uses lies in the possible and even likely risk of greater than normal harm to offspring. A discussion of the need and right to have children, and of the relationship of this procedure to abortion and to freezing embryos, concludes the analysis of clinical uses. The ethics of research applications of in vitro fertilization hinges on the status of the embryo. After prefatory conceptual clarification, this article argues for the inclusion of human embryos within protectable humanity, which makes nontherapeutic research unjustifiable. Public decision making and federal research funding are discussed.

(JAMA 1982;247:3235-3242)

REFERENCES

1 +
 Protection of human subjects; HEW support of human in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer: Report of the Ethics Advisory Board . Federal Register 1979;;44( (June 18) ):35033-35058.
2 +
Thompson IE (reviewer), Grobstein C:  From Chance to Purpose: An Appraisal of External Human Fertilization, book review . N Engl J Med 1982;;306:51.
3 +
Moraczewski AS:  In vitro fertilization and Christian marriage . Linacre Q 1979;;46:302-318.
4 +
Moore JW:  Human in vitro fertilization: Can we support it? The Christian Century , (April 22) , 1981;, pp 442-446.
5 +
Ramsey P: Fabricated Man: The Ethics of Genetic Control . New Haven, Conn, Yale University Press, 1970;, p 136.
6 +
Walters L: Ethical Issues in Human In Vitro Fertilization and Research Involving Early Human Embryos , report to the HEW Ethics Advisory Board. Washington, DC, US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare, (Sept 8) , 1978;, p 18.
7 +
Biggers JD: In Vitro Fertilization, Embryo Culture and Embryo Transfer in the Human , review for the HEW Ethics Advisory Board. Washington, DC, US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare, (Sept 15) , 1978;, p 11.
8 +
Schlesselman JJ:  How does one assess the risk of abnormalities from human in vitro fertilization? Am J Obstet Gynecol 1979;;135:135-148.
9 +
Biggers JD:  In vitro fertilization and embryo transfer in human beings . N Engl J Med 1981;;304:336-342.
10 +
 And now—test-tube twins on the way, news . New Scientist 1980;;88:758.
11 +
Wood C, Trounson AO, Leeton JF, et al:  A clinical assessment of nine pregnancies obtained by in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer . Fertil Steril 1981;;35:502-508.
12 +
Trounson AO, Leeton JF, Wood C, et al:  Pregnancies in humans by fertilization in vitro and embryo transfer in the controlled ovulatory cycle . Science 1981;;212:681-682.
13 +
Lapota A, Johnson IWH, Hoult IJ, et al:  Pregnancy following intrauterine implantation of an embryo obtained by in vitro fertilization of a preovulatory egg . Fertil Steril 1980;;33:117-120.
14 +
Schumacher GFB, Brackett BG, Fletcher J, et al:  In vitro fertilization of human ova and blastocyst transfer. An invitational symposium . J Reprod Med 1973;;11:192-200.
15 +
Assessing Biomedical Technologies: An Inquiry Into the Nature of the Process , National Research Council, Assembly of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Committee on the Life Sciences and Social Policy. Washington, DC, National Academy of Sciences, 1975;, pp 13-31.
16 +
Walters L:  Ethicist approves test-tube baby research . Science 1982;;215:382-383.
17 +
Transcript of meeting 3 of the US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare Ethics Advisory Board (testimony of J. D. Schulman), Bethesda, Md, (Sept 15) , 1978;, p 115.
18 +
Evans MI, Mukherjee AB, Schulman JD:  Human in vitro fertilization . Obstet Gynecol Surv 1980;;35:71-81.
19 +
Kass LR:  Babies by means of in vitro fertilization: Unethical experiments on the unborn? N Engl J Med 1971;;285:1174-1179.
20 +
Ramsey P:  Shall we reproduce? JAMA 1972;;220:1346-1350, 1480-1485.
21 +
Hubbard R:  Test tube babies: Solution or problem? Technol Rev , (March) /April 1980;, pp 10-12.
22 +
Transcript of meeting 4 of the US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare Ethics Advisory Board (testimony of T. Powledge), Boston, (Oct 13) , 1978;, p 63.
23 +
Transcript of the US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare, Ethics Advisory Board Public Hearing , San Francisco, (Nov 14) , 1978;, p 89.
24 +
Nelson JR:  In vitro ethics . The Christian Century , (Jan 27) , 1982;, pp 78-79.
25 +
Flannery DM, Weisman CD, Lipsett CR, et al:  Test tube babies: Legal issues raised by in vitro fertilization . Georgetown Law J 1979;; 67:1295-1345.
26 +
Tiefel HO:  The unborn: Human values and responsibilities . JAMA 1978;;239:2263-2267.
27 +
 Frozen test-tube embryos raise hot debate . New Scientist 1981;;90:747.
28 +
Lindquist G, Liedholm P:  Deep freezing of in vitro fertilized human eggs . Arch Androl 1980;;5:95-96.
29 +
Transcript of meeting 3 of US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare Ethics Advisory Board (testimony of J. D. Biggers), Bethesda, Md, (Sept 16) , 1978;, pp 272-273.
30 +
Kass LR:  Making babies—the new biology and the 'old' morality . Public Interest 1972;; 26:18-56.
31 +
Transcript of meeting 3 of the US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare Ethics Advisory Board (testimony of P. Soupart), Bethesda, Md, (Sept 15) , 1978;, pp 143, 148.
32 +
Tiefel HO:  The cost of fetal research: Ethical considerations . N Engl J Med 1976;; 294:85-90.
33 +
Grobstein C: From Chance to Purpose: An Appraisal of External Human Fertilization . Reading, Mass, Addison-Wesley Publishing Co Inc, 1981;, p 37.
34 +
Grobstein C:  External human fertilization . Sci Am 1979;;340:57-67.
35 +
Transcript of meeting 4 of the US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare Ethics Advisory Board (testimony of S. Gorvitz), Boston, (Oct 14) , 1978;, p 266.
36 +
Marks FR:  The defective newborn: An analytic framework for a policy dialog , in Jonsen AR, Garland MJ (eds): Ethics of Newborn Intensive Care . Berkeley, Calif, Institute of Government Studies, 1976;, pp 97-125.
37 +
Fletcher J: Humanhood: Essays in Biomedical Ethics . Buffalo, Prometheus Books, 1979;, p 96.
38 +
Belliotti RA:  Morality and in vitro fertilization . Bioethics Q 1980;;2:6-19.
39 +
Hodgen GD:  In vitro fertilization and alternatives . JAMA 1981;;246:590-597.

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Country-Specific Mortality and Growth Failure in Infancy and Yound Children and Association With Material Stature

Use interactive graphics and maps to view and sort country-specific infant and early dhildhood mortality and growth failure data and their association with maternal

1 +
 Protection of human subjects; HEW support of human in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer: Report of the Ethics Advisory Board . Federal Register 1979;;44( (June 18) ):35033-35058.
2 +
Thompson IE (reviewer), Grobstein C:  From Chance to Purpose: An Appraisal of External Human Fertilization, book review . N Engl J Med 1982;;306:51.
3 +
Moraczewski AS:  In vitro fertilization and Christian marriage . Linacre Q 1979;;46:302-318.
4 +
Moore JW:  Human in vitro fertilization: Can we support it? The Christian Century , (April 22) , 1981;, pp 442-446.
5 +
Ramsey P: Fabricated Man: The Ethics of Genetic Control . New Haven, Conn, Yale University Press, 1970;, p 136.
6 +
Walters L: Ethical Issues in Human In Vitro Fertilization and Research Involving Early Human Embryos , report to the HEW Ethics Advisory Board. Washington, DC, US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare, (Sept 8) , 1978;, p 18.
7 +
Biggers JD: In Vitro Fertilization, Embryo Culture and Embryo Transfer in the Human , review for the HEW Ethics Advisory Board. Washington, DC, US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare, (Sept 15) , 1978;, p 11.
8 +
Schlesselman JJ:  How does one assess the risk of abnormalities from human in vitro fertilization? Am J Obstet Gynecol 1979;;135:135-148.
9 +
Biggers JD:  In vitro fertilization and embryo transfer in human beings . N Engl J Med 1981;;304:336-342.
10 +
 And now—test-tube twins on the way, news . New Scientist 1980;;88:758.
11 +
Wood C, Trounson AO, Leeton JF, et al:  A clinical assessment of nine pregnancies obtained by in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer . Fertil Steril 1981;;35:502-508.
12 +
Trounson AO, Leeton JF, Wood C, et al:  Pregnancies in humans by fertilization in vitro and embryo transfer in the controlled ovulatory cycle . Science 1981;;212:681-682.
13 +
Lapota A, Johnson IWH, Hoult IJ, et al:  Pregnancy following intrauterine implantation of an embryo obtained by in vitro fertilization of a preovulatory egg . Fertil Steril 1980;;33:117-120.
14 +
Schumacher GFB, Brackett BG, Fletcher J, et al:  In vitro fertilization of human ova and blastocyst transfer. An invitational symposium . J Reprod Med 1973;;11:192-200.
15 +
Assessing Biomedical Technologies: An Inquiry Into the Nature of the Process , National Research Council, Assembly of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Committee on the Life Sciences and Social Policy. Washington, DC, National Academy of Sciences, 1975;, pp 13-31.
16 +
Walters L:  Ethicist approves test-tube baby research . Science 1982;;215:382-383.
17 +
Transcript of meeting 3 of the US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare Ethics Advisory Board (testimony of J. D. Schulman), Bethesda, Md, (Sept 15) , 1978;, p 115.
18 +
Evans MI, Mukherjee AB, Schulman JD:  Human in vitro fertilization . Obstet Gynecol Surv 1980;;35:71-81.
19 +
Kass LR:  Babies by means of in vitro fertilization: Unethical experiments on the unborn? N Engl J Med 1971;;285:1174-1179.
20 +
Ramsey P:  Shall we reproduce? JAMA 1972;;220:1346-1350, 1480-1485.
21 +
Hubbard R:  Test tube babies: Solution or problem? Technol Rev , (March) /April 1980;, pp 10-12.
22 +
Transcript of meeting 4 of the US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare Ethics Advisory Board (testimony of T. Powledge), Boston, (Oct 13) , 1978;, p 63.
23 +
Transcript of the US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare, Ethics Advisory Board Public Hearing , San Francisco, (Nov 14) , 1978;, p 89.
24 +
Nelson JR:  In vitro ethics . The Christian Century , (Jan 27) , 1982;, pp 78-79.
25 +
Flannery DM, Weisman CD, Lipsett CR, et al:  Test tube babies: Legal issues raised by in vitro fertilization . Georgetown Law J 1979;; 67:1295-1345.
26 +
Tiefel HO:  The unborn: Human values and responsibilities . JAMA 1978;;239:2263-2267.
27 +
 Frozen test-tube embryos raise hot debate . New Scientist 1981;;90:747.
28 +
Lindquist G, Liedholm P:  Deep freezing of in vitro fertilized human eggs . Arch Androl 1980;;5:95-96.
29 +
Transcript of meeting 3 of US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare Ethics Advisory Board (testimony of J. D. Biggers), Bethesda, Md, (Sept 16) , 1978;, pp 272-273.
30 +
Kass LR:  Making babies—the new biology and the 'old' morality . Public Interest 1972;; 26:18-56.
31 +
Transcript of meeting 3 of the US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare Ethics Advisory Board (testimony of P. Soupart), Bethesda, Md, (Sept 15) , 1978;, pp 143, 148.
32 +
Tiefel HO:  The cost of fetal research: Ethical considerations . N Engl J Med 1976;; 294:85-90.
33 +
Grobstein C: From Chance to Purpose: An Appraisal of External Human Fertilization . Reading, Mass, Addison-Wesley Publishing Co Inc, 1981;, p 37.
34 +
Grobstein C:  External human fertilization . Sci Am 1979;;340:57-67.
35 +
Transcript of meeting 4 of the US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare Ethics Advisory Board (testimony of S. Gorvitz), Boston, (Oct 14) , 1978;, p 266.
36 +
Marks FR:  The defective newborn: An analytic framework for a policy dialog , in Jonsen AR, Garland MJ (eds): Ethics of Newborn Intensive Care . Berkeley, Calif, Institute of Government Studies, 1976;, pp 97-125.
37 +
Fletcher J: Humanhood: Essays in Biomedical Ethics . Buffalo, Prometheus Books, 1979;, p 96.
38 +
Belliotti RA:  Morality and in vitro fertilization . Bioethics Q 1980;;2:6-19.
39 +
Hodgen GD:  In vitro fertilization and alternatives . JAMA 1981;;246:590-597.

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