Words at War: In vitro fertilization

Circumventing biology is wrong

“John and Kate Plus Eight,” “Conception Story” and a whole slurry of TLC docu-drama reality TV glorifies the use of in vitro fertilization. I’ve watched several of these types of shows, unable to pull my face away from the television train wreck, and have come to a few conclusions.

First, in vitro fertilization is not cheap. WebMD reports that the average cost for a successful in vitro procedure in the United States is $12,400. That does not factor in if you will need additional assisted reproductive technologies, an egg donor or a sperm donor. Often these little extras make the bill total to over $25,000.

Finding that kind of cash lying around is not something a typical family can afford to do. Oddly enough, some health care providers will cover some of the costs.

I’m not one to pick on people for spending their money poorly, but in a world where social injustice is rampant, $25,000 can save hundreds of lives. In the case of families that choose in vitro, it makes a new life instead of saving someone already alive.

This brings me to point two: adoption. Somehow these families who choose to waste their cash and hours of time consuming fertility cocktails don’t seem to think any other child is good enough for them. Adoption isn’t always cheap, but in some instances with a $25,000 budget you could adopt a few children who need a family.

In vitro fertilization is one of the most selfish things a couple can do. It basically looks at all other children in the world that desperately want and need families, and then tells them, “You’re not good enough because we have superior DNA.”

The point I’m trying to get across is children shouldn’t be made in a lab. If you have to go through such strenuous means to conceive, maybe you shouldn’t have kids in the first place. It can lead to all kinds of stranger-than-reality situations, such as a Chicago woman who gave birth to her own grandchild. Or, my personal favorite, a Supreme Court case that had to answer the question about posthumous conception. Karen Capato gave birth to twins 18 months AFTER their father had died and her case went to court because she was trying to receive social security survivor’s benefits for her children.

If there is any doubt left about why in vitro fertilization is wrong, look at another burden on society: Nadya Suleman, a.k.a. Octomom. With six test-tube babies already in her uterus, this woman decides it’s a good idea to have one more, and ends up with eight more. She paid for all of her in vitro treatments using settlement money from a back injury, but still used public assistance (welfare) to support the children.

Are all situations like those above? Of course not. But there is one thing they all have in common: selfish parents who can’t stand the idea of not having their own peerage. To these types of people, anything less than their own flesh and blood just isn’t perfect enough to be bothered with.

7 comments

Average cost of domestic adoption $30,000-$50,000; international $25000. Successful IVF $12400. I think I can do the math for myself.

A private agency, or a “pay the parent’s cost” type adoption would cost those sums. Private agency adoption ranges between $5,000-$40,000. Public adoptions, and some non-profit agencies will range between Free-$5,000 (or more if it’s out of state).

sources:
adoption.org
bethany.org
adopting.org
whatitcosts.com

(sorry if it double posts)

Those costs are only incurred when using a private adoption agency. The average cost of a public adoption is Free-$5,000.

Domestic adoption averages far less than that if you don’t use an adoption agency or participate in a “pay the parent” program (which are illegal in MI). Private adoptions are the most costly of adoptions, varying between $5,000 to $40,000 versus a public adoption which ranges between free and $3500. As evidenced, it is still cheaper to adopt than to have IVF. As with most things, it depends on your cirumstances and what you want.

Info taken from : http://www.whatitcosts.com
http://www.adoption.com
http://www.forever.parents.com
http://www.adoption.org
http://www.bethany.org

An interesting article, although, like the heroes of old, there is more here than meets the eye.

There is another aspect to adoption. Many of these children come from very troubled backgrounds, and especially in the cases of public adoptions, this can be a problem. There is also the issue of matching. In public adoptions, children are matched to you. Someone else often chooses the child you will be adopting. These children from public adoptions are also very rarely infants. What of the people who really want the experience of raising a baby? Babysitting for someone else is quite different than raising your own child.

In the case of a private adoption, the cost and risks are much higher. While the child usually transitions straight from the hospital to the adoptive couple, there is also the risk of the birth parent changing their mind. Then, the adoptive couple is stuck with medical bills, counseling bills, and god knows what else.

Any thoughts, Ms. Anger?

The following is in my own thoughts and of my own opinion. They do not directly reflect the beliefs of The Torch or any of its affiliates.

In my own thoughts: I do acknowledge that that many of these children come from troubled homes. I think this only emphasizes choosing adoption over IVF. Being able to adopt someone from such a problematic background only means that the adoptive parent assumes the responsibility of chaining their future to a brighter one.

As far as matching is concerned, I ask you to consult my above opinion, and splice it with this: Children are not puppies, kittens, or any other kind of pet from a shelter. They are a special commitment, that require more attention than a person will ever comprehend.

For those that want to truly raise a baby: Keep in mind what you’re getting into. If you truly want a family and children, the condition of being a baby shouldn’t matter. You could still keep a “baby book” with a newly adopted child. I would give more personal references to such situations, but I do not have liberty to disclose the very personal relationship I have with adopted children.

In the case of private adoption: Such situations should always be looked into and brought into consideration. Again, this hearkens back to my previous argument to the overall commitment of having a child. When you accept parenthood in any form, you must be fully committed to the responsibilities required.

Conclusion: My main point (and I’m sorry if it is not clear from the article) is that the amount of adoptable children in the world is a pitiable state. My research for this article showed that there were nearly 500,000 adoptable children in the U.S. and only 100,000 of which were adopted. This means 400,000 children were left unadopted; to me, this is a tragedy.

Other comments off the cuff: There is absolutely no way of knowing that a child born through IVF will not exhibit the same problematic behaviors as a child adopted from a “troubled home.” Thinking this is, again, an excuse for persons who simply wish to continue on their own genetic line.

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