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Allocating fertility services by medical need
1University College, Oxford OX1 4BH, UK.
Human Fertility (Cambridge, England)
|October 10, 2001
Summary
Fertility treatment should be considered a medical need, justifying public funding. Recognizing infertility as a disruption of normal function and a limitation of opportunity supports its inclusion in resource allocation for a good life.
Area of Science:
- Medical Ethics
- Public Health Policy
- Reproductive Medicine
Background:
- Infertility services often lack public funding due to a perception they do not meet a medical need.
- This perspective limits fair equality of opportunity for individuals seeking fertility treatment.
- Resource allocation decisions frequently overlook the significance of reproductive health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To argue for the classification of fertility treatment as a legitimate medical need.
- To establish the ethical and societal importance of addressing infertility.
- To advocate for serious consideration of infertility services in public resource allocation.
Main Methods:
- Philosophical argumentation based on concepts of medical need and fair equality of opportunity.
- Analysis of the relationship between biological function, opportunity, and a good life.
- Ethical reasoning regarding resource allocation for healthcare services.
Main Results:
- It is plausible to define fertility treatment as a medical need.
- Infertility represents a disruption of normal species function, impacting an individual's opportunities.
- Diminished opportunity due to infertility is relevant to achieving a good life.
Conclusions:
- Infertility services meet the criteria for a medical need, warranting public funding.
- Fair equality of opportunity is intrinsically linked to the concept of a good life.
- Infertility services require serious consideration in healthcare resource allocation decisions.