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Ethics of Posthumous Reproduction

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Textbook of Oncofertility Research and Practice

Abstract

This chapter explores the ethical issues with posthumous assisted reproduction for individuals who already have frozen gametes or embryos and for individuals requiring postmortem gamete retrieval. Relying on the core ethical principles of justice, beneficence/nonmaleficence, and autonomy, I analyze some of the key ethical issues raised by posthumous assisted reproduction. I then examine who (e.g., surviving partner, surviving parents, third party, etc.) should be permitted to request PAR. I draw heavily on the guidelines issued by the ethics committees of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE).

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Some other conditions have to be met as well for these societies to find PAR ethically justifiable.

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Review Questions and Answers

  1. Q1.

    Posthumous assisted reproduction raises which of the following justice concerns?

    1. (a)

      Posthumous assisted reproduction is not equally accessible to all people.

    2. (b)

      Posthumous assisted reproduction may not be the best use of limited healthcare resources.

    3. (c)

      Children who are posthumously conceived are sometimes treated differently under the law.

    4. (d)

      All of the above.

  1. A1.

    (d)

  1. Q2.

    When weighing the benefits and harms of posthumous assisted reproduction, we should consider

    1. (a)

      The deceased

    2. (b)

      The surviving partner

    3. (c)

      The surviving family

    4. (d)

      Posthumously conceived children

    5. (e)

      All of the above.

  1. A2.

    (e)

  1. Q3.

    What is the best way to ensure that the autonomy of the deceased is upheld regarding posthumous assisted reproduction?

    1. (a)

      Written consent

    2. (b)

      Implied consent

    3. (c)

      The word of the surviving partner or family

    4. (d)

      The autonomy of the deceased cannot be violated

  1. A3.

    (a)

  2. Q4.

    Spouse or partner request for posthumous assisted reproduction is the least ethically contentious since the couple had a joint reproductive project. True or False?

  3. A4.

    True

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Alden March Bioethics Institute and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, USA

    Lisa Campo-Engelstein

Authors
  1. Lisa Campo-Engelstein
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Correspondence to Lisa Campo-Engelstein .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University , Chicago, IL, USA

    Teresa K. Woodruff

  2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Divya K. Shah

  3. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA

    Wendy S. Vitek

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Campo-Engelstein, L. (2019). Ethics of Posthumous Reproduction. In: Woodruff, T., Shah, D., Vitek, W. (eds) Textbook of Oncofertility Research and Practice. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-02868-8_32

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-02868-8_32

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-02867-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-02868-8

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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