Okay, I consider deleting the blog, and then here I am blogging two days in a row! Ha ha. (I can't help it that there is a whole bunch of infertility stuff in the news lately, thanks to Nadya Suleman).
The latest? Legislation to limit the number of embryos transferred per IVF cycle. In Missouri and Georgia, the proposed legislation is intended to keep women from having more children than they can afford. (And yet the crack addicts can have all the babies they want - go figure).
This really worries me. For one thing, the last thing we want the government involved in is limiting family size. For another, this type of legislation makes no allowances for individual patient circumstances. What about a woman who has had seven failed IVF cycles, and yet still falls in the under 40 age group? Should she be unable to have more than two embryos transferred simply because some clueless lawmaker stuck his interfering little hands into the assisted reproduction business?
In a poll accompanying the article, 68% of respondents say that the government should absolutely step in and regulate the fertility business. Only 28% say no way. I'm willing to bet that nearly 100% of those in favor of limiting embryo transfers have never dealt with infertility and don't know a thing about an IVF cycle. They just hear horror stories like the Octomom and think that sort of thing is happening all over the place.
The fact is that most doctors are not egregiously violating the standards set forth by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. They may not stick to the "no more than two embryos for a patient under 35" suggestion, but that's because it's a suggestion, and allows doctors to tailor treatment for individual patients. Transferring more than two embryos is not an ethics violation. It means doctors are working with their patients on a case by case basis, trying to get the best outcome, and sometimes that means transferring more than two embryos.
I find it interesting that none of the media is willing to point out that a successful IVF cycle is considered to be one baby. While fertility treatment centers may be satisfied with a twin outcome (and probably so would any infertile person), they hope for and celebrate singletons. That is the goal - one healthy baby. Doctors do not want cases of high order multiples. It's dangerous for their patients and reflects poorly on their judgement. You might say it's bad for business.
But some women need more than two embryos to get to the single baby outcome. Having had two failed IVF cycles myself, I don't want the government telling me I can't have three embryos transferred if that's what my doctor and I decide is best, simply because of my age.
It infuriates me that one stupid, irresponsible person can ruin things for the rest of us. Most IVF patients are responsible people who pay their bills, pay for their fertility treatments, and pay for their children after they are born. And most doctors are doing the best they can to help their patients - and that means they are not transferring more embryos than are absolutely necessary.
The government should keep its little paws off the fertility industry. (If they must interfere they need to at least make allowances for individual patient circumstances). It's not a good thing to have legislators messing with something they do not understand, just because everyone is up in arms over one mentally unstable woman.
Gee, thanks, Nadya. You've been a great help.
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2 comments:
I have to agree with you. The last thing we need is the government telling us how many kids we can have. (China anyone?)
I have gotten a lot more defensive about infertility issues since I have found myself dealing with secondary infertility.
I have had more than one person ask me why I want more kids since I have two, and not only that, why can't I just be grateful for the two that I have?
I know many friends who have personally tried in-vitro. What the public seems to forget is that a lot of people who try in-vitro still end up not carrying a full-term pregnancy. (I know that some would say that's because in-vitro is wrong, but I disagree).
Infertility is heart-breaking, and anyone who would say that someone is selfish for wanting to have their own children, has never been infertile, or longed for a child.
That's just ridiculous. I need to go read the article, but it seems to me to be a knee-jerk reaction to a very, very, VERY rare situation. How dare the government "regulate" reproductive decisions! Though I think in much of W. Europe those rules are in force...that's just me thinking out loud, in NO way am I saying it's okay... Every situation is different! I don't think anything needs to change, it should all be on an individual patient basis.
Yes, most doctors do NOT want multiples, and will do all they can to just bring about a healthy singleton pregnancy. We couldn't have transferred 3 embryos due to their high quality and my age. Not that we were planning to, but we asked about it...(and yeah, twins are plenty to handle at once!)
And quite honestly, it seems to me that a good number, if not the majority, of higher order multiples come about not from IVF, but from women who are just on medication, and have several eggs mature and fertilize from either an IUI or regular old sex. Guess they'll hafta get their itchy little legislating fingers all over that, too...
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