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Sex and reproduction: an evolving relationship
Giuseppe Benagiano1, Sabina Carrara, Valentina Filippi
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy. giuseppe.benagiano@uniroma1.it
Human Reproduction Update
|September 5, 2009
Summary
Technological advancements have separated sex from reproduction, enabling conception for infertile couples. Future reproductive technologies may further distance reproduction from sexual acts, raising ethical debates.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Biology
- Bioethics
- Sociology of Reproduction
Background:
- Historically, sexual activity was essential for reproduction and bonding.
- Technological progress now allows for reproduction without sex and sex without reproduction.
- This review examines social and ethical perspectives on the evolving relationship between sex and reproduction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review social and ethical commentaries on the changing relationship between sex and reproduction.
- To analyze the impact of reproductive technologies on traditional views of sex and procreation.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature search across databases (PubMed, Medline, ScienceDirect), books, and online resources.
- Focused on publications from 1975 to 2009, with some earlier historical references.
- Included searches of religious websites for ethical viewpoints.
Main Results:
- Reproduction is increasingly independent of sexual activity, challenging the traditional model of sex for procreation and bonding.
- Assisted reproductive technologies facilitate reproduction separate from intercourse, sometimes involving multiple partners.
- Research is exploring reproduction with limited or no gametes, though currently controversial and not yet feasible.
Conclusions:
- Advances in reproductive biology have revolutionized conception for infertile couples, impacting culture and customs.
- The independence of sex and reproduction is now established.
- Future reproductive methods may further detach procreation from sexual acts, a prospect ethically contested by some.
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