Conclusion and Future Trends

Abstract

New assisted-conception technologies such as IVF are changing the context of human reproduction. Many people now experience new hopes of overcoming infertility and having children. However, these new possibilities also create important ethical and policy problems and have the potential to cause conflicts among different parties and interests. Some of the issues related to reproductive procedures have reached the public policy agenda (e.g., licensing of clinics, regulations about embryo research and frozen embryos), but many other important matters (e.g., informed consent issues, social impacts of IVF and related techniques) are still unexplored.