IVF essay

[vlokken]

Hi everybody,

I hope I am not bothering you with this message, but I would appreciate your help a lot..

I am writing an essay in favor of IVF for my English class. It is an argumentative essay about the fact that IVF should be more widely accepted. I need three arguments; however, I can only come up with two.

- Increase medical knowledge
- Everybody has right to reproduce --> step forward to equality, also possible for lesbian couples to get children. You can not forbid somebody, just because nature did not give the ability to get children in the regular way, to not experience the creation of life.

I was wondering whether you could maybe help me coming up with more arguments. My English teacher told me I could also look a bit more at the reason why people get children. But he was not very sure about another argument (his inspiration and creativity were gone he said).
Well, I would appreciate your help a lot

Rianne

[baylorbear33]

On additional argument could be that IVF allows you to use PGD (pre-genetic testing). This is important to couples who may be carrying a gene for specific diseases, and the PGD allows them to select embryos that are not carrying the disease which allows them to start a family without the risk of passing on the gene.

[Annie973]

I'm not sure if you can use this as an argument but I remember reading on the board someone responsed to somebody who didnt agree with IVF by saying if you had cancer wouldnt you seek treatment....infertility is the same way. If you have something wrong with you, you go to a doctor and allow modern medicine to assist you in your problem. That goes for infertility or any disease.

[riogirl71]

I don't know if it is an argument but I will share my story. My husband has a daughter from another marriage conceived naturally. He had a terrible marriage that ended in divorce, right before the divorce he found out he had cancer, had to have immediate chemo and a lot of it. To give you an idea of how bad his ex was she said to him "why don't you die already" Fast forward - he beats the cancer after going through hell and we meet - we are madly in love with each other and we get married. He is the most amazing man ever and treats me like no one has. I have no fertility issues whatsoever, everything tested fine. I have always wanted children really bad. We find out that the chemo that saved his life killed his sperm numbers and motility and that the only way to conceive would be to do IVF with ICSI to pick out the good sperm to fertilize my eggs. We got pregnant and lucky on our first try. Our son is a miracle to me, he was born out of an immense love for each other. I also would argue that couples who go through so much to conceive have a deep appreciation for this miracle. Every couple I know said that they are more patient with their babies because they went through so much to have them. I also know of people who got pregant too easily on their own and really did not want the child. So my argument is why shouldn't we be allowed to have a baby when we sacrifice so much? Modern medicine has blessed us with this opportunity. Please post your paper here when you are done! Good luck!

[ls4]

I don't know if it helps. It is on the same line of what Annie973 said. They treat us as if we are doing this like someone having plastic surgery. Alot of insurances in the USA don't cover the IVF procedure and we go broke trying to have what comes so easily to others.(EVEN those who don't want it) Infertility is like any other illness and we should be treated like any other patient. It should be covered and we should be treated as if it is.
Lisa

[hjw]

I totally agree with ls4. Someone (a woman, would you believe) recently said to me (with no knowledge that DH and I are having IVF) said that infertility was nature's way of making sure that only the healthiest people get to reproduce. That may have been the case back in the stone age, but totally ignores the fact that there are so many things in the modern world which can cause/contribute to infertility. Environmental factors have been shown to increase your chances of having difficulty getting pregnant. Plus illness, accidents etc can all lead to a decrease in sperm quality.

As others have said, modern medicine exists and there is no reason why everyone should not be given every chance possible to have children if they want to. In the stone ages, cancer may also have been nature's way of weeding out the weakest people, but no-one would suggest these days that a cancer sufferer should not have access to everything which modern medicine can offer by way of a cure.

In the UK, most private healthcare cover also do not cover IVF, but they will cover some elective cosmetic things. It is ridiculous. I cannot imagine what is more fundamental to some people's happiness than having a child.

[vlokken]

Thanks everybody!
I finished my essay, and certainly used your ideas/comments.
Also thanks for sharing the stories.

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