ABSTRACT
In vitro fertilisation (IVF) was allegedly developed to treat one particular form of infertility i.e. blocked tubes. The technique of preimplantation diagnosis together with the possibility of germ line gene therapy raises the spectre of eugenics, or to be more precise, of quality control of the reproductive result of IVF. IVF is used to treat male infertility, even though this means that women are exposed to the risks of IVF as they are treated for their partner’s condition. There are many explanations for the rapid expansion and acceptability of IVF but this new reproductive technology may definitely be seen as a response to the changing conditions of women in society after the Second World War. Another characteristic feature of the impressive technical development of IVF is that it was presented as a medical improvement but without any documentation of its effects.
