Egg and sperm donation

The Social Affairs Committee's previous work investigating the regularisation of IVF in Malta concluded with a number of recommendations. As reported in The Times on September 24, three issues will be revisited by a parliamentary committee that still has to be set up.

In general terms, the freezing of a fertilised human egg is unacceptable for numerous reasons. The practice is laden with serious implications that are scientific, moral and practical in substance. Foreign Minister Tonio Borg said that "the resultant child should at all times be treated as if it had been naturally conceived" (The Times, November 12).

The creation and freezing of excess fertilised eggs is contrary to the dignity of human life. The main reason mentioned by clinics that advocate the creation of multiple fertilised eggs, which are subsequently frozen, is that this makes the process of assisted fertilisation more economically viable. This argument distances the issue from the matter at hand, which, in this case, is safeguarding the respect and dignity of every fertilised human life. It is an objectionable argument as it downgrades the dignity of human life at its inception to a purely commercial consideration.

Fertilised human embryos are human lives with potential and not potential human life. The thawing processes after vitrification (freezing) is not trouble-free, with many reported failure rates resulting in frozen embryos dying either before or after implantation, which raises serious ethical issues.

The new parliamentary committee will have to consider various other problems that freezing raises. What does one do with the frozen fertilised eggs produced if, for example, the biological parents decide they do not want any more children? What if the biological mother dies or a married couple separate before the fertilised eggs are implanted? Who would have legal rights over these fertilised eggs in a custody battle?

This is not the same situation as adoption because it requires implantation for this life to continue to grow. Nobody imagines a magistrate forcing a woman to be implanted against her will, so how will the courts deal with the numerous issues that may arise with commercial freezing?

These are but just a sample of the plausible problems that are also based on actual scenarios being played out in other parts of Europe where freezing is permitted.

Imagine the advert: Egg and sperm donors required. Help a couple realise their dream to become parents. Nothing wrong in that, one might conclude. Yet, few realise the scientific, ethical and deeply moral consequences of permitting sperm and egg donations. Does egg marketing constitute an unethical trade in body parts?

Many have commented that egg donation is dangerously coercive, encouraging donors to conceal genetic problems or inducing financially-challenged women to accept the risks of donation to escape debt.

It is a fallacy that most donors overseas are close friends or relatives of the would-be recipients. Even if they are the first to be approached by the infertile couple for donation, they all too often refuse.

Egg and sperm donation evoke other very serious moral questions. How does one protect the dignity of the donated human life? Does the resultant child have the right to know who the genetic parents are? Will they be allowed this right? What would happen with regard to laws that govern inheritance rights? Do they lose this right and on what grounds do we take away rights? Would allowing for the payment of egg or sperm donation be acceptable when society in general frowns at the prospect of payment for organ donations? If we permit this, will Malta become a target for egg or sperm donation tourism?

To aggravate an already alarming situation, our country still does not have a law that clearly defines the beginning of human life. Ongoing attempts at attaining a clarification of the beginning of human life in the Constitution of Malta have so far fallen on deaf ears despite a petition, containing 39,000 signatures, having been presented to Parliament two years ago.

Mr Vincenti is president of Gift of Life.