Editorial
-
M. Ardekani, Ali
-
Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
Editorial: In recent years, due to increase in infertility rates, Assisted Reproductive technologies (ART) have been very much in use worldwide. The first phase of the study of national infertility amongst the Iranian women, be-tween the ages of 20-40 was completed recently by the Academic Center for Education, Culture and Re-search (ACECR). This study, which was widely reported in the Iranian media, indicates that the infertility rate in this group of women is around 20.2%. The 20.2% infertility rate appears to be above the average reported by the World Health Organization (WHO), which is around 15%. This study was conducted by scientists from Tehran University and Avicenna Research Institute which is also affiliate of the ACECR.
This is the first scientific study of the infertility rate in the Iranian women population, and raise awareness of a medical condition that must be addressed by the medical community and health officials in Iran. The use of ART is anticipated to grow rapidly in Iran in the coming years, and this growth will bring about some very important bioethical issues to consider. These include: creation, selection and disposal of unwanted embryos, access, insurance coverage and resource allocation, the rights and responsibilities of individuals who agree to collaborate with each other in donating or receiving reproductive materials.
As the use of ART increases in Iran, appropriate ethical laws must be written and passed in the parliament to regulate this rapidly growing industry in order to safeguard the rights of individuals involved in receiving and donating reproductive materials. Also, it would be appropriate for the Iranian Ministry of Health to ap-point a special task force to make sure that all the fertility and infertility centers in Iran abide by the bio-ethical guidelines that are specifically designed and written to safeguard the rights of patients and individuals involved in the use of ART.
|