Pursuing Parenthood: Ethical Issues in Assisted Reproduction

Lauritzen ( Religious Belief and Emotional Transformation ), a professor of religious studies at John Carroll University, believes that the availability of advanced reproductive technology should lead people to rethink what it means to be a parent--is it a biological or social obligation, or both? Although personal experience is partially involved--Lauritzen and his wife encountered difficulty in conceiving a child, and considered assisted-reproduction techniques--this is not a drawn-out account of their decisions or a medical description of the virtues and pitfalls of the procedures at hand (e.g., artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization, surrogacy). Instead, the book takes a critical look at attendant ethical issues: whether children should be told that they were conceived by artificial insemination, and how parents should relate to each other when one is a biological parent and the other is not. For critics of assisted reproduction--the Roman Catholic Church, for example--Lauritzen also discusses ethical problems associated with adoption. Good as it is, this is a work of scholarly consideration, and few couples considering alternative reproductive options would put it at the top of their reading lists. Most would probably concern themselves with other issues: the barrage of medical tests and procedures, as well as the anxiety that lies before them. (Feb.)