Hope and exploitation in commercial provision of assisted reproductive technologies

Wrigley, Anthony; Watts, Gabe; Lipworth, Wendy; Newson, Ainsley

Abstract

Innovation is a key driver of care provision in Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART). ART providers offer a range of ‘add-on’ interventions, aiming to augment standard IVF protocols and improve the chances of a live birth. Particularly in the context of commercial provision, an ever-increasing array of add-ons are marketed to ART patients, even when evidence to support them is equivocal. A defining feature of ART is hope - hope that a cycle will lead to a baby, or hope that another test or intervention will make a difference. Yet such hope also leaves ART patients vulnerable in a variety of ways. In this paper we argue that previous attempts to safeguard ART patients have neglected how the use of add-ons in commercial ART can exploit patients’ hopes. As a result, commercial providers of ART should only provide add-ons free of charge, under a suitable research protocol.

Citation

Wrigley, A., Watts, G., Lipworth, W., & Newson, A. (2023). Hope and exploitation in commercial provision of assisted reproductive technologies. Hastings Center Report, 53(5), https://doi.org/10.1002/hast.1513

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jul 2, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Nov 14, 2023
• Publication Date: 2023-09
• Deposit Date: Jul 12, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 1, 2025
• Journal: Hastings Center Report
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 53
• Issue: 5
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/hast.1513
• Keywords: Hope, Exploitation, Assisted Reproductive Technologies, Bioethics
• Publisher URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hast.1513