IVF - In Vitro Fertilisation

10, 000 Australian couples are treated with IVF each year. The expensive and rather risky program (costing around $4000 excluding overheads) allows infertile couples to achieve pregnancy when conventional therapy has failed or is unacceptable. The procedure involves placing eggs that have been fertilised in a cultured dish directly into the uterus. A successful procedure will go as follows: - Couples are counselled about their situation and informed on the procedure, their obligations and rights. - Medical history, …

…burden upon the health system. Further ares of consideration are the legal and moral aspects. Technology surpasses the speed at which the law governing this type of pregnancy is able to keep pace and the moral implications are ones in which the mother needs to face personally and be comfortable with. It would seem that given all the above negatives, those that those who undertake IVF are happy to do so simply to experience childbirth.