ABSTRACT

In vitro fertilisation (IVF) in Germany is regulated by the Embryo Protection Act and the guidelines of the Federal Physicians Chamber. The Embryo Protection Act reserves to physicians the sole right to perform IVF and also regulates a number of other matters associated with IVF such as embryo and sex selection, donation of embryos and also postmortem fertilisation. The guidelines of the Federal Physicians Chamber dictate the medical indications for an IVF. These guidelines have to be transferred into the professional law of each state’s physicians chamber. Before this transfer is done the guidelines are only relevant as a description of the state of the art with no legal competence. Preimplantation diagnosis of genetic diseases is done with the aim of helping those couples who would prefer selection to occur at this stage rather than during pregnancy.