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Updated: Apr 3, 2026

Collection of Human Follicular Fluid, Follicle Somatic Cells, and Immature Oocytes from Individuals Undergoing In Vitro Fertilization
Published on: October 24, 2025
Safety in reproductive medicine: breadth, depth and discovery
1Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA Boston Center for Endometriosis, Boston Children's Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA stacey.missmer@channing.harvard.edu.
Balancing effectiveness and safety in reproductive medicine requires a broader view of safety beyond singleton pregnancies. Rigorous, multidisciplinary studies are essential for maximizing both efficacy and safety in fertility treatments.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Medicine
- Medical Ethics
Background:
- A debate article in Human Reproduction discusses balancing effectiveness and safety in reproductive medicine.
- Current discussions focus on achieving healthy singleton pregnancies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To broaden the consideration of safety in reproductive medicine beyond singleton pregnancies.
- To suggest additional issues for consideration in the effectiveness-safety debate.
- To advocate for the use of existing literature from other fields grappling with similar ethical considerations.
Main Methods:
- The article presents a debate contribution.
- It reviews existing literature on balancing treatment efficacy and harm.
- It emphasizes the need for well-powered, multidisciplinary studies.
Main Results:
- Safety considerations in reproductive medicine should encompass the well-being of multiple individuals.
- Reproductive medicine can learn from other fields that balance treatment effectiveness with unintended harms.
- The article highlights the unique potential of reproductive medicine to impact multiple lives simultaneously.
Conclusions:
- Maximizing both efficacy and safety in reproductive medicine necessitates a comprehensive approach.
- Well-designed, generalizable, and multidisciplinary studies are crucial for advancing the field.
- A broader definition of safety is required, considering the impact on all involved individuals.
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