Treating infertility as a missing capability, not a disease: a capability approach.

Area of Science:

• Bioethics
• Reproductive Medicine
• Social Sciences

Background:

• Infertility is often framed as a disease to improve access to fertility treatments.
• This disease classification may exclude individuals with "social" or "relational" infertility, such as single individuals or same-sex couples.
• A new conceptualization is needed to address the significance of infertility and improve patient lives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose the capability approach as a framework for understanding and addressing infertility.
• To argue for a conceptual shift that recognizes the importance of procreation as a fundamental human capacity.
• To advocate for equitable access to assisted reproductive technologies.

Main Methods:

• Philosophical analysis of the capability approach.
• Ethical argumentation regarding the concept of infertility.
• Review of existing frameworks for fertility treatment access.

Main Results:

• The capability approach focuses on what individuals are able to do and achieve based on their values.
• It frames the ability to procreate and form a family as a crucial capability for self-fulfillment.
• This approach supports the ethical imperative to provide assisted reproduction for those unable to conceive naturally.

Conclusions:

• Classifying infertility solely as a disease may be inadequate and exclusionary.
• The capability approach offers a more inclusive and ethically robust foundation for addressing infertility.
• Ensuring equal capabilities, including the ability to reproduce, necessitates societal support for assisted reproduction.