Clinics defy guide on IVF treatment
(sz) A medical ethics panel acting for a group of infertility clinics has approved the use of eggs donated by a patient’s friend or sister for in vitro fertilization (IVF).
The panel authorized the controversial treatment plans at two clinics in late March. Should the plans go ahead, the clinics would be the first in Japan to carry out the treatment under specified procedures.
The Japanese Institution for Standardizing Assisted Reproductive Technology (JISART), which represents 20 infertility clinics, created the panel to consider ethically complex issues. The institution is expected to make a formal decision on the issue at a June board meeting.
The panel’s decision, which runs counter to a health ministry panel report that recommended use of only eggs from anonymous donors in IVF treatment, is certain to draw heavy criticism.
The member clinics of JISART, which was founded four years ago, carry out nearly half of all test-tube fertilization cases in Japan. more…
From: »asahi.com« (English edition)