The IVF industry’s best-kept secret: selective reduction
(sz) One of the best-kept secrets of IVF is selective reduction — killing one or more foetuses in the womb of a woman who is carrying twins, triplets or quadruplets. In a new book, “Everything Conceivable”, Washington Post writer Liza Mundy describes how it works. She conducted an in-depth interview with Manhattan obstetrician Mark Evans, one of the few American doctors who is willing not only to do reductions, but to discuss them and rationalise them.
Little is known about how widespread the practice is. Because of the growing number of pregnancies achieved with assisted reproduction techniques, including IVF and artificial insemination, there has been an explosion of high-risk multiple pregnancies. But no one keeps statistics on how many of these are “reduced”. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publishes an annual report on fertility clinic outcomes, but not on this procedure. The fertility industry does not keep statistics either. “This is a very sensitive topic,” says David Grainger, president of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology. more…
From: »Australasian Bioethics Information«