Attitudes, intentions and procreative responsibility in current and future assisted reproduction

Area of Science:

• Bioethics
• Reproductive Ethics
• Moral Philosophy

Background:

• Procreative obligations are typically assessed based on outcomes, neglecting the significance of intentions and attitudes.
• Existing discussions on assisted reproductive technologies (ART) often overlook the moral role of parental mindset.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the contribution of intentions and attitudes in defining moral obligations related to ART.
• To analyze the implications for current (e.g., PGD) and future (e.g., reproductive genome editing, ectogenesis) reproductive technologies.
• To propose a framework compatible with person-affecting constraints.

Main Methods:

• The paper introduces the parent-child relationship argument, distinguishing between creating and parenting.
• It applies this argument to assess moral obligations in reproductive decision-making involving PGD.
• It extends the analysis to future reproductive technologies, considering them as person-affecting procedures.

Main Results:

• Intentions and attitudes play a significant role in shaping moral obligations concerning preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD).
• Prospective parents may have moral reasons to favor advanced reproductive technologies over sexual intercourse, if these are deemed person-affecting.
• Procreative responsibility is extended beyond traditional consequentialist person-affecting morality.

Conclusions:

• Moral obligations in reproduction are influenced by intentions and attitudes, not solely outcomes.
• The parent-child relationship argument offers a novel perspective on reproductive ethics.
• This research broadens the scope of procreative responsibility in the context of emerging reproductive technologies.