The decision-making role of fathers in assisted reproduction

In order to bring about a pregnancy using assisted human reproduction, all current techniques require male and female gametes, except reproductive cloning, which has not yet been achieved and is illegal in many countries. This is, however, not the same as saying that bringing about such a pregnancy requires a husband and a wife, a commissioning couple, or a man and a woman: or to say that there is a father involved in the process in more than the narrowest biological sense. In this paper, I discuss the role of the man in assisted reproduction. I initially look at the role of the man in assisted insemination by donor and then, for the main part of the paper, analyse the role of the man in the various phases of decision-making in a male–female couple who seek assisted human reproduction. I first argue that there is justification for giving men a larger decision-making role in preimplantation decision making than they are often given, and then argue that since decisions concerning frozen gametes and embryos fall into this category, men are justified in preventing their partners from using frozen embryos after a breakdown in the relationship. Throughout the analysis, I consider various counter arguments and although the analysis is primarily philosophical, it will also discuss some pertinent legal decisions.