Turkey-baster babies: a view from Europe

Classification of artificial insemination as a medical procedure has largely endured because the practice met the perceived needs of clients, physicians, and society. For nearly two decades, however, the success of self-insemination has challenged both the necessity of involving physicians in the process and the traditional understanding of the procedure as therapy for infertile couples. Demedicalization of artificial insemination as a matter of policy would entail changes in law, custom, and attitudes. The advent of safe and effective self-insemination makes critical a public debate on the issues of reproductive freedom, the meaning of parenthood, and the interests of children.