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Against age limits for men in reproductive care
Steven R Piek1, Andrea Martani2, Guido Pennings3
1Bioethics Institute Ghent, Department of Philosophy and Moral Sciences, Ghent University, Blandijnberg 2, Ghent, 9000, Belgium. steven.piek@ugent.be.
Medicine, Health Care, and Philosophy
|April 22, 2024
Summary
Age limits for men seeking fertility treatments are debated, but this study argues against them. Protecting child welfare is key, but reproductive autonomy suggests no age cut-offs for male partners in Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART).
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Medicine
- Bioethics
- Family Law
Background:
- Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) often have age limits for women but not men.
- The debate on paternal age limits is ongoing, with varying ethical considerations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the ethical and practical justifications for imposing age limits on men seeking Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART).
- To explore the principle of reproductive autonomy in the context of paternal age limits.
Main Methods:
- Ethical analysis of consequentialist arguments for paternal age limits.
- Normative ethical reasoning and case study comparison.
Main Results:
- Consequentialist arguments for paternal age limits are not sufficiently strong to justify restrictions.
- A case comparison highlights the inconsistency of limiting older men while allowing older single women using donor sperm.
Conclusions:
- Age limits for male partners in fertility treatments are not ethically justifiable when child welfare is adequately protected.
- Removing paternal age limits respects the reproductive autonomy of both partners and promotes equitable access to ART.
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