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Despite the high cost, in vitro fertilization is on the rise. More and more parents are getting themselves tested for genetic disorders or diseases and opting for in vitro to ensure they do not pass these genes to their children. However doctors are entering a "grey area" here. What determines if an embryo should be discarded? What genetic diseases justify the use of the procedure? Should it only be used for major disorders that have no cure or should a woman who is a carrier for breast cancer also be able to use the procedure? All valid questions. As of now most insurance companies won't cover the procedure unless one of the parents is infertile leaving others to pay the $20,000 out of pocket.
Amanda Baxley is now a mother of three despite being diagnosed with GSS, a genetically transmitted disease that runs in her family. GSS is fatal and an individual usually dies five years after the first symptoms begin to show. Baxley was able to have children thanks to in vitro fertilization but did have to pay out of pocket for it.
Still the questions persist: What is right and wrong when considering using the procedure? At the present there are no clear answers.
Personally I think it is wonderful that people like Baxley are able to have children with the guarantee that her children won't carry a lethal genetic disease. However I think it's also possible that the use of the procedure will be abused if not regulated in some way but where to draw those lines remains unclear.
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