The status of the ethics of in vitro fertilization in 1985

In many respects in vitro fertilization has been accepted as ethical by the majority of people in the Western world. Controversy now involves the ancillary issues of embryo freezing, embryo adoption, surrogate mothering of in vitro fertilization embryos, donor fathering of in vitro fertilization embryos, and research on embryos. The acceptance of in vitro fertilization as ethical was withheld until in vitro fertilization was demonstrated to be safe and effective under controlled circumstances. A similar approach to the ancillary issues is advocated.