The Case of the 62 year old woman giving birth in France
The British Fertility Society has noted this case with serious concerns.
We believe this to be a misuse of reproductive technology and do not
condone this practice. We believe that treatment using donor eggs
should generally be confined to women under the age of 50 and that
selection of cases requires very careful consideration including assessment
of the welfare of the child.
We believe the case reported recently in France raises major ethical
concerns but are confident that these particular circumstances are
highly unlikely to occur in the United Kingdom given the guidelines
and regulatory framework that govern practice in this area. The
vast majority of clinicians and scientists undertaking IVF in the
UK confine their expertise to many couples who suffer genuine infertility
problems and adopt a responsible approach to treatment.
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority which police IVF
and related techniques has issued guidance to centres offering treatment
to oversees patients to enable confirmation of identity. This guidance
ensures that deception of the type implied in this case is minimised.
UK patients seeking treatment at centres in the YK normally require
referral from their GP or consultant.
For more information: please contact the British Fertility Society press office
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