Ever wondered where the surplus embryos created by infertile couples end up? This has been the major bone of contention for the fertility clinics which are left with the responsibility of taking care of the unused embryos on behalf of the donors. The essay that follows intends to tackle the issues accompanying in vitro fertilization. The paper will tackle the problems of surplus embryos, surrogate mothers and their rights and the issue of who is to meet the expenses brought about by the technology (Mundy, par. 5).
In an estimation analysis conducted by experts, hundreds of thousands of embryos are in storage in clinics and the issue is what should be done to the embryos. Some of these embryos are awaiting transfer while a majority of them remain frozen in the clinics while the intended couples are faced with the decision of what should be done to the embryos (Beil, par. 8).
In retrospect, the couples are the ones who should decide what should happen to their surplus embryos. When deciding to have babies through in vitro fertilization couples’ minds are usually boggled with the relief of finally having a child but they do not seriously consider what might happen to the surplus embryos. The process of deciding what should happen to the embryos should be left to the parents and not the clinics or government. This is because the emotional stress accompanying the decision is usually experienced by the couple. Due to this the couples should be the ones to decide what happens to the unused embryos. There are several options from which couples can choose to dispose of the surplus embryos some of them being donation to another couple or medical research, thawing and donating or they can just postpone the decision if they cannot make it presently (Hall, Bobinski and Orentlicher 93).
The custody rights of the child vary from one state to another. Surrogate mothers may suffer from psychological stress but this does not mean that they should be allowed to see the child because she knew exactly what she was going into before accepting to be a surrogate mother. Another issue is that surrogate mothers usually view this as a noble act towards the infertile couples. Therefore visitation rights should not be an issue for surrogate mothers who did this out of nobleness. In summation the decision of whether the surrogate mother should have visitation rights entirely depends on the state the parents are in. For example in Michigan and Washington, custody for the child depends on things that are for the best interest of the child. In other states like New Hampshire and Virginia, the intended parents are granted custody but the surrogate mother is given a duration in which she can claim custody. Others like Dakota and Arizona have the couple as the legal parents (Cumming, par. 13).
In the event of the couples separating it becomes another difficult issue. Such an event happened and the woman wanted to be implanted with the embryos while the man wanted them destroyed. The woman eventually lost the case. Courts usually envision surplus embryos as property that should be shared between the couple. Generally, courts take pain in ensuring that they are against the person who wants to carry the embryos through pregnancy in conflict with the opinion of the other partner who wants the eggs disposed of (Macklin 81).
The expenses involved in vitro fertilization are high and therefore the government must come in to meet part of the expenses. It is a very unfortunate thing that some of the couples who wish to get children cannot get them using in vitro fertilization due to the high expenses therefore the government should come in to cater for a round of the treatment. For example, the Canadian government is trying to meet part of the expenses (Mundy, par. 14).
In conclusion in vitro fertilization has a lot of controversial issues. The surplus embryos need to be disposed of and this decision entirely depends on the patients and not the clinic nor the government. Surrogate mothers also have no right to visit the children because they knew what they were getting into. The government should also chip in to try and help those infertile couples who are unable to meet the expenses of the technology.
Works Cited
Beil, Laura. Parenting.com. What happens to extra embryos after IVF, 2010. Web.
Cumming, Jennifer. Minnesota Family Council. The Proposed Uniform Parentage Act and Surrogate Motherhood. 2010. Web.
Hall, Mark, Bobinski, Mark, and Orentlicher, David. Health Care Law and Ethics. New York: Aspen. 2003
Macklin, Ruth. Surrogates and Other Mothers: The Debates over Assisted Reproduction. Philadelphia: Temple Univ. 1994
Mundy, Liza. Souls on ice: America’s embryo Glut and the Wasted Promise of Stem Cell Research. 2010. Web.