Women have the natural, and unalienable right to control their own fecundity. The notion that a woman can be forced to have a child against her will defies the basic precept of an unalienable right. "
Unalienable rights" means those rights which belong to individuals as part of nature, and which every person is entitled to enjoy. The rights of personal security, of personal liberty, and private property do not depend upon the U.S. Constitution or any law for their existence. The philosopher
John Locke, who provided the intellectual inspiration for Thomas Jefferson's "unalienable rights" assertion in the Declaration of Independence, expressed it this way: "No one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions."
Abortion
Admittedly there is a tension created between the "rights" of the mother…
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Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART)
Even though a women's menstrual cycle will continue to be regular in her 30's and 40's, the quality of the eggs ovulated each month will be poorer than those of her 20's. Though not as abrupt or noticeable as menopause in women, changes in fertility do occur in men as they age. The causes of
infertility are multiple:
Female factors
- Ovulatory dysfunction
- Tubal/uterine/peritoneal factor
- Endometriosis
- Cervical factor
- Immunological problems, chromosomal abnormalities, cancer chemotherapy, and serious illnesses
- One should distinguish infertility and fecundity problem (the ability to produce a live offspring after pregnancy occurs) when immunological problems are involved
Male factors
- Abnormal semen: decreased sperm counts, failure of sperm maturation
The American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) defines
infertility as the failure to achieve a successful pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected intercourse. Earlier evaluation and treatment may be justified based on medical history and physical findings and is warranted after 6 months for women over age 35 years. In the United States one in six couples are
infertile. In large urban areas where women often delay childbearing for sake of their career, the proportion can be as high as one in five. This high incidence is confirmed by the oft-quoted statistic that in the United States over 3 million women a year visit a physician because of difficulty in conceiving. To put things in perspective however,
male factor infertility is the sole cause…
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