Abstract
Assisted reproductive technology (ART) research has achieved a breakthrough in the understanding of natural reproductive processes and their possible ineffective outcomes. In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) has succeeded in treating chronic fertility problems that could not be solved by routine interventions. IVF reaped its first success in 1978, with the birth of the world's first ‘test-tube baby’: Louise Joy Brown's birth indeed confirmed the feasibility of retrieving ova from the follicles, inseminating them under laboratory conditions, transferring the fertilized ova to the patient's uterus and supporting their implantation. IVF opened a new era in the treatment of infertility, offering hope to women and couples who otherwise would have remained childless. Yet this technological achievement has given rise to controversy on ethical issues and questions about the legal rights to apply modern reproductive technologies. The legal and public debates surrounding IVF treatment started long before the day-to-day experiences of IVF patients received any in-depth attention. Hence, the experiences of women undergoing IVF treatment remained largely external to the bioethical debate. In the present article, I shall claim that understanding the female experience is an essential element in the bioethical debate on IVF. This claim is valid regardless of whether the problem treated originates in the woman or her male partner, as in either case the woman is the one undergoing the surgical procedure. The present article summarizes research on the experiences of IVF-treated women in Israel, and discusses the relevance of this research's findings to the bioethical debate in this respect.