BIOETHICAL ISSUES ON

CURRENT REPRODUCTIVE
TECHNOLOGY

ARTIFICIAL
INSEMINATION (AI)
• ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION
(AI)
Method used to achieve
pregnancy though the use of
artificial or partially artificial
means.
The act through which the
sperm is placed into a female
uterus (embryo transfer) by the
use of artificial means rather
than by sexual intercourse which
is understood as the natural
means of copulation
2 PROCESSES OF AI
• HOMOLOGOUS: ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION
FROM THE HUSBAND (AIH): means that the
sperm used in artificial insemination comes
from the husband of the woman who seeks
to get pregnant.
• HETEROLOGOUS: ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION
FROM A DONOR (AID): the sperm placed in
the reproductive tract of the woman is not
sourced from her husband but from another
man who is usually construed as a donor.
•
• Ethical Theories
AI is immoral since the AI child is not
the fruit of the conjugal act as an
expression of personal love.
AI splits the sexual unity of husband
and wife in marriage as it transfers
procreation into a biological
laboratory
• Catholic Church
AID is equivalent to “permitted” adultery
It opposed all technological interventions into the
process of human reproduction.
More specifically, it condemned artificial
insemination and embryo transfer, in vitro
fertilization, and surrogate motherhood under all
circumstances.
It also opposed experimentation on embryos
when such experiments were not of direct
therapeutic benefit to the fetus, and
amniocentesis (a procedure used to detect fetal
defects) when done for the purpose of deciding
whether or not to abort the fetus.
• HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS
Nurses are in unique position to provide
comprehensive care to individuals and couples
contemplating AI
Nurses facilitate decision-making by providing
accurate information and creating a milieu
conducive to considerate deliberation, educate
the participants and aids them in grief work and
ventilation of feelings and concerns about AI
Nurses need to begin to discuss how they might
handle such dilemmas and the reasons why
they might respond in a particular manner.
Nurses should continue to base their actions on
a sensitive reflection of their moral and ethical
values.
• Biomedicine in the last two centuries has often surprised
with new possibilities, situations that cultures, religions,
and bodies of ethical thought had not previously had to
consider.
• Change – especially in the biosciences – keeps
accelerating. How should we assess the ethics of new
biotechnologies?
• If the harms seem to outweigh the benefits, it's easy to
conclude "this is worrisome."