Impact of assisted reproductive technology on modern medicine

A surge in knowledge and interest in reproductive biology has occurred since the advent of assisted reproductive technology (ART) in the 1960s. These innovative medical advances soon challenged societies and invited criticism. Nevertheless, ART has superseded older therapies and serves as a back-up when all else fails. There are currently 61 ART clinics in Taiwan. Thanks to a group of young physicians and scientists who have devoted great effort in catching up with the modern advances in assisted reproduction, most of the important advances in ART have been introduced to Taiwan promptly and resulted in good success rates. The complications of multifetal pregnancies as well as controversies regarding gestational surrogacy and new technologies such as intracytoplasmic sperm injection, preimplantation genetic diagnosis, and cloning have challenged conventional wisdom, ethics, laws, and religions. Society now faces a dilemma in striking a balance among science, ethics, and human rights. It is, thus, advisable that we stand back once in a while and carefully consider where we should go next.