On Artificial Insemination

Lagonoy, Camarines Sur - While waiting for a van en route to Naga last month, I noticed a sign posted outside a small office which read "Artificial Insemination Center." My initial reaction: dumbfounded.

My hometown is a third class municipality inhabited by more than forty thousand residents. Although rife with other Christian sects, the town is predominantly Roman Catholic. And now, we have a center catering the unnatural procedure of conceiving a child here - I thought at the sight of that post.

I have just passed Medical Ethics II as a requirement to be promoted to third year medical student. One of the issues we have discussed in that one-semester subject is Artificial Insemination. After my classmates gave a comprehensive presentation on the subject, they concluded that the procedure is unethical. This was further affirmed by our facilitator, a medical doctor who is also an ethicist.

Artificial insemination is the process where sperm is placed through a female's uterus by means other than the natural sexual intercourse with the intention of impregnating the female (Wikipedia). Other procedures such as in-vitro fertilization is also categorized under this. Though this could bring forth joy to married couples not capable of having their own offspring, ethicists condemn the procedure. Some of the arguments against artificial insemination is that it is against the natural process of life. With this, the principles of inviolability of life, personalized sexuality, and stewardship come into play.

First and foremost, the probability of a successful conception through the artificial procedure is very low. Clearly put, several zygotes (fertilized ovum) die while performing this scientific technique. Several ethicists will argue that life begins at the moment the sperm from the male fertilizes the ovum. Given this contention, many lives are destroyed in the process.

The principle of personalized sexuality tells us that "God made us sexual not only for the survival of our species, but for the complete expression of a married person's mutual self-giving love that finds its complete fulfillment not just in orgasm but in children (Ethics of Health Care by O'Rourke)." Although several ethicist would contend that artificial insemination does not violate this principle when the procedure is done in conjunction with a conjugal act, some would argue otherwise. The conception of a human person through artificial means is not the result of the marital act itself rather by a technical manipulation that follows the conjugal act. Opposing ethicists would therefore argue that no artificial methods of reproduction will respect the unitive and procreative act of sexual intercourse.

Lastly, we were created by God to be stewards of His creations. That is what the principle of stewardship tells us. Going through the process of artificial insemination then makes man a God-like being who creates another living person. Ethicists again would argue against the act.

Now, we raise the issue on the economic and political level. Performing the artificial procedure of conception will involve large sum of money. Few can afford the technique and as stated earlier, the success of the procedure is not definite. That would be throwing lots of money which could have been used to help other individuals. Perhaps adopting an orphan could be a better alternative as it will lead to improving the quality of life of another individual. And since only the rich can readily push through with the procedure, then there is no justice.

Knowing these things, I was really at loss at the thought that there is an artificial insemination center in our town. I have already presented the status of Lagonoy being a third-class (not yet developed) and Christian municipality. How in the world then was establishing that center conceptualized?

But before I could even start thinking of the reasons, I read a smaller sign that the center was meant for chickens (roosters and hens), hehe.