Reproduction

The opinion highlights the significant impact of recent advancements in prenatal medicine, enabled by developments in genetics, medical imagery, and assisted reproduction, which have met society's expectations for enhanced healthcare and prevention. These advancements have led to a remarkable reduction in therapeutic abortions for conditions such as rubella or toxoplasmosis. However, they also bring to light ethical concerns among medical professionals and the public regarding the management of severe fetal conditions and potential discrimination in prenatal practices. The tension between protecting human life and considering potential suffering is central to the ethical dilemmas discussed.

In this opinion, the Committee addresses the complexities surrounding antenatal diagnosis, which includes prenatal diagnosis (PND) and preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). PND can lead to decisions about medical management or induced abortion in severe cases, while PGD involves selecting embryos free of genetic disorders, raising distinct ethical questions such as embryo selection and destruction. The Committee explores four main lines of thought: the purpose of antenatal diagnosis and its association with concepts like prevention and eugenics, the role of couples in determining the severity of fetal anomalies, the relationship and ethical distinctions between PND and PGD, and the implications of direct-to-consumer genetic tests that might lead to unassisted abortion decisions.