We read with interest the news items (TMIS, 30 October) and the subsequent explanations by Clyde Puli and Mary Darmanin on the recommendation made by the Parliamentary Social Affairs Committee on assisted reproduction and biotechnology. They were food for thought and Gift of Life would like to add some points to the discussion.
Dr Darmanin raised the issue of adoption. The point was made, quite rightly, that couples undergoing IVF need to be supported. Society also has to support the embryo – the fledging human being. Society needs to do its utmost to guarantee that the child develops in a supportive family unit. We disagree that IVF should be available to “stable” unmarried couples. How can society quantify the stability of these relationships? Statistics show that such relationships often do not last as long as the average married couple. So why not restrict IVF to married couples only?
The process of adoption is long and arduous as it has to ensure that the chosen couple will provide good and lasting care. So why shouldn’t couples seeking IVF not undergo the same procedures with the well-being of the embryo in mind?
We wholeheartedly agree that the freezing of embryos is abominable and embryo adoption is not to be encouraged. But what could be done in the exceptional circumstances when in vitro fertilization has occurred and the mother (through death or disease) could not be implanted? The embryo would be stuck in the test tube and unless some procedure is undertaken it would definitely die. How can the unfortunate embryo be saved and implanted?
Going solely on the reassurances of the only clinic providing IVF in Malta, which has been unregulated since the early 1990s, a scenario such as this one has not yet happened in Malta, yet it still remains a clear possibility. Shall we allow freezing in these extreme circumstances only? What is not clear is whether the clinics involved will find this a viable alternative as the investment for the equipment required may prove to be inhibitive.
Consideration must be given to the orphaned embryo also, who through no fault of its own, may be left without a mother. Huge ethical dilemmas come into play at this point and any proposed laws must take into consideration the future of this child and all the implications of possible adoption. Many of these ethical issues are very complicated in substance and any proposed legislation must consider first and foremost the preservation of human life.
Gift of Life encourages enlightened discussion on this topic because it believes that the legislation being planned on assisted reproduction is of utmost importance to human life in Malta and that every angle must be studied clearly in order to ascertain the complete and absolute dignity of human life in the fullest most possible manner.
Michael Micallef
Gift of Life
MOSTA