Sztuczne zapłodnienie pozaustrojowe in vitro - biomedyczne dylematy medycyny reprodukcyjnej

The aim of this review is to present the biomedical dilemmas of reproductive medicine concerning In Vitro fertilisation. In the introduction the main medical indications for the procedure are described. A substantial part of the article consists in the exposition of the key in vitro methods practiced in infertility treatment centres as well as the accompanying procedures of cryoconservation of embryos and gametes, preimplantation genetic diagnosis, as well as selective termination and multifetal pregnancy reduction. Finally, the most important biomedical dilemmas of these procedures for the health and life of the mother and child are named and classified. Biomedical arguments belong to a non-ethical sphere of justification. However, they form a key element in the correct bioethical evaluation of the application of in vitro techniques in the case of humans. Experts in the field of reproduction and child-birth emphasise that we do not yet possess sufficient knowledge concerning the short and long-term effects of in vitro for the health and life of persons who come to life in this procedure of reproduction. Moreover, the efficiency of extra-uterine fertilisation is small. The fate of surplus human embryos gives much cause for concern. The author believes that in vitro techniques constitute a gigantic exmperiment on human beings. The ultimate resolution of the dispute as to the advantages or disadvantages for contemporary or future generations of this global experiment is still a long way off.