| Gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) is | | | | reproductive technology that has out |
| being used when traditional infertility | | | | distanced the ability of the learned |
| therapies are unsuccessful, especially in | | | | professions and society at large to keep pace |
| cases of endometriosis, low sperm counts and | | | | with its consequences.The hullabaloo over |
| unexplained infertility. The first pregnancy | | | | "surrogate" motherhood triggered by the "Baby |
| using the GIFT technique occurred in 1985 and | | | | M" case continues to resonate in courts of |
| in the year that followed, patients having | | | | law and legislatures. Fertility clinics are |
| the procedure increased from forty seven to | | | | making money by making it possible for |
| four hundred nineteen.According to the IVF | | | | couples to make babies not only by providing |
| Registry, the overall clinical pregnancy rate | | | | sperm banks, but since 1990, by providing |
| in 1987 for IVF was sixteen percent, while | | | | donor eggs. Donors of both sexes are forcing |
| the rate for GIFT was twenty-five percent. A | | | | medical ethicists as well sociologists and |
| recent report by the American Fertility | | | | jurists to confront the question not only of |
| Society puts the success rate at 26.6 | | | | who is the biological parent and what are the |
| percent. A variation of the GIFT technique, | | | | rights of that parent, but also of how a |
| known as ZIFT (the Z stands for zygote) | | | | "family" and identity itself are to be |
| transfers the newly fertilized egg, or | | | | defined. The normal life cycle of women has |
| zygote, into the fallopian tube by | | | | become a matter of government involvement |
| laparoscopy, usually within twenty-four hours | | | | following the successful pregnancies of women |
| after fertilization has taken place in the | | | | in their late fifties. An international |
| laboratory.Although there have been major | | | | furor yet to be resolved was triggered by the |
| advances in solving some of the problems of | | | | announcement of a researcher in Scotland that |
| infertility, much more is yet to be learned. | | | | it would soon be feasible for infertile women |
| There are still couples whose infertility is | | | | to be implanted with the ovaries taken from |
| unexplained and there are couples with known | | | | aborted fetuses.When scientists effect major |
| causes of infertility that cannot be cured. | | | | changes, they are rarely expected to take |
| In addition, advances in technology have | | | | responsibility for the unforeseen results of |
| given rise to problems that concern hospitals | | | | their work. Americans have a difficult time |
| and neonatologists who specialize in | | | | confronting the fact that "progress" always |
| premature babies. Multiple births resulting | | | | has its price, that everything has the |
| from IVF and GIFT are common and when twins, | | | | defects of its virtues. For the infertile |
| triplets and even quadruplets arrive early, | | | | couples who achieve parenthood because of |
| the costs for assuring their well-being can | | | | unanticipated advances in the technology of |
| be extremely high.Approximately twenty years | | | | reproduction, these advances have been a |
| ago, the birth of the first "test tube" baby | | | | blessing. Whether they have been an unmixed |
| was hailed as a miracle. Since that time, in | | | | blessing for society at large will be decided |
| vitro fertilization has become an accepted | | | | in the legislative bodies and law courts, |
| means of treatment throughout the Western | | | | which reflect the changing attitudes of the |
| world. In retrospect, it turns out that this | | | | general population on how families are |
| procedure ushered in a new era of | | | | created. |