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In Vitro Fertilization Pros and Cons List

One of the many achievements of medical science is the creation of a world were mothers who have longed to carry their own babies but for some reason or the other have not been able to are now given the beautiful opportunity of birthing their own biological children via in vitro fertilization.

In vitro fertilization, which is also known as IVF is a medical technology that enables a woman’s egg to be fertilized by a sperm outside the human body. The process which is carried out in a laboratory involves harvesting the eggs from a mother and fertilizing these with the sperm of a donor or father and then implanting the fertilized eggs in the woman’s uterus.

It is mostly engaged in by couples who experience fertility issues. As much as it has helped hundreds of families around the world, there still remains the question of it being morally acceptable or not. Below is a list of pros and cons of undergoing in vitro fertilization.

List of In Vitro Fertilization Pros

1. More Fulfilling
For some couples adopting a child is not necessarily as fulfilling as having a biological child of their own. In vitro fertilization has therefore helped many couples fulfill their desire of birthing children with whom they share the same blood.

2. Reduces Need for Surgery
It has drastically reduced the percentage of women requiring surgery to help fix their fallopian tubes. Surgeries have always been risky sometimes leading to more complications than was expected. With IVF the need for surgery has been significantly reduced. As a matter of fact, fifty percent of women having issues with their fallopian tubes have benefited from IVF as opposed to going under the knife.

3. Prevents Birth Defects
Through the study of the process of fertilization and the development of embryos outside of the womb, medical scientists are able to glean more information about the causes of birth defects and how to prevent these defects.

4. More Chance of Having Multiple Gestations
With IVF the possibility of multiple gestations is quite high saving time and money for the couple who intend to have more than one child.

List of In Vitro Fertilization Cons

1. Costly Procedure
It is a very expensive procedure as one round of IVF can cost anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000.

2. Low Success Rate
More often than not, it does not always work out as it has a success rate of just thirty percent and the possibility of it succeeding reduces as the woman grows older.

3. Multiple Births Are Not For Everyone
There is a high possibility of multiple births and this can cause parents to worry about how to take care of them all, especially in situations where the planning was done for only one child.

4. Risk of Physical Conditions
Some women who pass through IVF may suffer from Ovarian Hyper-Stimulation Syndrome – a condition were the ovaries become swollen and very painful as a result of the hormone medications being administered.

5. Higher Risk of Ectopic Pregnancies
IVF can lead to ectopic pregnancies. This is a situation where the embryo implants itself and grows inside the fallopian tube instead of in the uterus.