Today, research proves that the need to have children is not only to satisfy the need to be a parent. Ther is a natural cause: the instinct of procreation, where human beings have the need to pass on the genes to an offspring for the continuation of one’s kind.

If an individual fails to understand this basic concept as part of our existence, he has no right to label couples going through infertility as ‘selfish’.

There is currently a discussion under way on the possible change in theIVF legislation locally, possibly introdu-cing embryo freezing. Some pro-life groups have compared embryo freezing to abortion. Others called it a “distasteful agenda”.

How would you explain to an infertile couple that their only chance of becoming parents is a “distasteful agenda”? They are claiming that the majority of Maltese is against embryo freezing, without having any factual or statistical data. In this way such activists are putting more salt on the fresh wound when comparing embryo freezing to abortion.

Couples often recourse to embryo freezing as their last resort in the hope of conceiving. Therefore comparing embryo freezing to abortion, which is the deliberate killing of a human life, is wrong.

The infertile couple’s world is a very lonely and challenging one in all aspects. It would soundly be advisable for any pro-life campaigners and other groups to choose their words wisely

Some embryos do not survive because of natural circumstances, both right after fertilisation and sometimes during the thawing phase after freezing. Hence embryo freezing is not abortion.

As regards the discarding of frozen embryos, perhaps a solution would be regulating the amount of embryos to freeze and allowing them to the adopted by another couple, who may be unable to create their own because of low egg or sperm quality.

Such statements create more stigma and shame for couples seeking IVF abroad and freezing their embryos.

Have these groups thought about the emotional distress they are causing to the children born from frozen embryo transfers abroad?

Promoting a message of hate to the public towards infertile couples (because of their choice to use frozen embryos) will result in further scrutiny from the public on these couples.

Locally, it is expected of a couple to produce an ‘heir’ and if after a few years the couple is still childless, some feel it is right to ask innumerable questions as to when they will finally have children.

Therefore infertile couples most often feel ostracised, along with the emotional, physical and financial distress they go through in years of failed attempts at getting pregnant.

Couples do not want embryo freezing to be introduced locally for selfish reasons and without considering the ethical and legal issues.

Applying IVF and freezing embryos affect all parts of a couple’s lives; marital, social, physical, emotional, financial and religious. For these reasons counselling is often needed during this process. Couples desire a chance to become parents because nature has not given them the opportunity to or because physically it’s impossible, unless assisted by science.

Most pursue IVF abroad, even though locally it is being provided, because there is no embryo freezing locally. This might mean that locally a woman might need to go through multiple IVF cycles and still fail at procreating, thus putting her health at risk because of a restrictive legislation.

Some say, “Why don’t they just adopt?” After years of struggling and their savings lost in unsuccessful treatments somecouples do move to adoption. However, they are faced with months of scrutiny, bureaucracy and huge costs.

The infertile couple’s world is a very lonely and challenging one in all aspects. It would soundly be advisable for any pro-life campaigners and other groups to choose their words wisely before publishing articles which connect embryo freezing to abortion.

Couples do not need to feel attacked, stigmatised and ashamed because someone linked abortion to their choiceof treatment.

They already find it extremely hard to speak up about their issues with loved ones as their religious, social and moral values might be in conflict with the choice of treatment.

With the right regulations and restrictions embryo freezing could be introduced locally without the risk of the extreme, unethical domino effect some are expecting.

Why should one hinder the chances of a couple to become parents after having struggled for so long?

Sue Gambin is a member of the Malta Infertility Network, an organisation that aims to build a strong network of people affected by fertility issues.

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