The IVF scenario in this country has undergone considerable changes of late. After many years during which this procedure was left in a legal limbo, in 2012, the Nationalist government finally introduced the Embryo Protection Act. Fast forward a few months and a Labour government was already offering the IVF procedure at Mater Dei Hospital, ending years of discrimination in which only couples with strong financial means had access to IVF.
The Embryo Protection Act was a step forward and that is why the Labour Party, then in opposition, voted in its favour. However, the Act contained several restrictions that the party had pointed out during the discussion stage, including the prohibition of embryo freezing.
Instead of freezing embryos, the Act allowed for oocyte freezing; which works by freezing the female egg before fertilisation. This is a fairly new technology that in some cases has reported success rates as high as those by embryo freezing.
Oocyte freezing is somewhat more complicated than freezing sperm and embryos, and it was only in recent years that the process started to report any tangible success.
The female egg is the largest cell in the body and contains a lot of water. When frozen ice crystals form and damage the egg in such a way that it can no longer be used. However, scientists discovered that certain amounts of water can be replaced with a liquid known as antifreeze, which prevents the ice formation. This led to a much higher rate of egg salvaging.
Ethical and moral arguments are crucial for the discussion on legislating IVF procedures but these should always be considered in the light of scientific facts
Since this technology is still new, there are many unanswered questions. We do not know, for instance, the expiry of the frozen egg, as so far the longest period of frozen egg resulting in a successful pregnancy was 10 years old.
Although defects in babies born with this technology are consistent with those of natural conception or embryo freezing, we do not yet know if this procedure can have side effects which might only appear later in life. This does not mean that we should be discouraged by that which is unknown, otherwise we will never make scientific advancements.
It is pertinent to question, however, whether the success rate of oocyte freezing is being exaggerated for commercial purposes, in view of the fact that in many countries egg freezing has become a lucrative business. This technology is being advertised as an option for women who want to postpone pregnancy because of their career, or because they are not yet in a relationship. The popularity of this procedure has grown to such an extent that some companies are even offering free oocyte freezing as a benefit to their female employees.
One has also to see the bright side of oocyte or sperm freezing which is offered to young cancer patients who undergo chemotherapy, which has a very negative effect on their gametes. Freezing and storing their oocytes or sperms is their only chance of having their own biological children later on in life. On the other hand everyone is familiar with the commercialisation stories of frozen sperm in banks coming from unknown fathers and used for artificial insemination.
Whatever the reality in relation to the success rate of egg freezing, the fact remains that this procedure will not necessarily work for everyone. While it is beneficial to try new technologies, older and reliable technologies such as embryo freezing should not be ruled out altogether. In this day and age we want to expand our possibilities, not limit them. Otherwise the whole scope of scientific research would be lost.
The biggest ethical dilemma for many people in relation to embryo freezing concerns the fate of unused embryos in some cases of couples undergoing assisted reproductive techniques. Not all eggs and sperm when injected becomes embryos and not all embryos remain unused. Not everybody is lucky enough to have many embryos either. Therefore, the reasoning on the fate of unused embryos does not always hold. This is a complex subject, and there are many valid ethical arguments.
However, those who believe that human life begins at conception must still keep in mind that in a natural conception, the success rate is not 100% for a fertilised egg. It is calculated that about 22% of the embryos fail to attach to the uterus wall, and end up being discarded in an inevitable natural process. The same process occurs in IVF, when a small amount of frozen embryos are not used. It is ironic that nobody bats an eyelid at the large amounts of discarded embryos through a natural process, but then object strongly if these are the result of an artificial procedure.
Ethical and moral arguments are crucial for the discussion on legislating IVF procedures, but these should always be considered in the light of scientific facts and all the potential tangible human benefits that can follow. Without the latter, the former will have no validity whatsoever.
On a national level, this topic is unfortunately being hijacked by individuals and groups who are not aware of the facts, or are intentionally twisting them to suit their own agenda.
Etienne Grech is a Labour MP.