ABSTRACT
The responsibility for the fate of the embryos is imposed upon the participating couples although they are not solely responsible. The conflictual situation is created by physicians, biologists and couples alike. For the interviewed couples the normatively most relevant decision was already made, namely to participate in an IVF-programme and thus to accept side-effects such as the creation of supernumerary embryos. In the author's opinion, precisely this decision to participate is the ethically and psychologically most relevant. The author likes to know what thoughts couples would have about enrolling in an IVF-programme if they were confronted with the moral implications of their decision, including any side-effects. This would mean a much more complex study, which would consist of critical reflection on the concrete decision-making process, combined with a process of clarifying their more general personal moral values. Significantly, in such a study the existence of ‘supernumerary embryos’ would not be taken for granted.
