By Abigail Richardson
“If the Catholic Church is pro-life, shouldn’t it be in favor of IVF?” This common misconception implies that IVF is a revolutionary idea that Catholics should celebrate. Unfortunately, it’s not quite that simple. IVF is a “wolf in sheep’s clothing,” as few people truly understand its gravity.
In vitro fertilization, or IVF, is the medical process by which a woman’s egg is fertilized by a man’s sperm outside of the woman’s body. The woman takes fertility drugs that cause the maturing of multiple eggs at once. She must then undergo transvaginal ultrasound aspiration, a surgical process in which a needle is used to suction eggs and fluid from the ovarian follicle. The man must procure semen, often through masturbation, a sin that is “intrinsically and gravely disordered” (CCC, 2352). The eggs and sperm are then joined in a glass dish—“in vitro” is Latin for “in glass”—and fertilization takes place. In the best-case situation, the embryos mature for several days and the healthiest few are implanted in the woman’s womb.
There are many objections to IVF when one looks at it through the eyes of the Church. It wholly removes the marital act from conception, leaving the creation of a precious new life as a scientific process engineered by doctors. As Father Mike Schmitz puts it, “It removes . . . that act of love from the act of life.” God ordained that there be a very special union between man and woman in marriage, which should not be replaced by modern medicine.
Donum Vitae, written by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, states that any process that assists the marital act in the conception of a child is morally acceptable, while any process that replaces the marital act is immoral.
IVF removes the dignity of life from conception. Typically, eight to fifteen eggs are fertilized to ensure higher chances of obtaining a healthy embryo. Only a few embryos are implanted in the womb due to the termination of those found to be imperfect or unhealthy. This leads to the creation of “excess” life. The remaining embryos are then frozen alive, stored in liquid nitrogen to slow the aging process down to almost nothing. It is estimated that upwards of 600,000 frozen embryos are in the United States at present, with many being abandoned over time. Less than 15% are donated to infertile couples, with the rest left frozen or used in medical experiments.
For these experiments, the embryo must be matured and effectively killed in the name of science. Even those who reach implantation are not guaranteed to mature into post-birth children, as miscarriage rates are higher for IVF babies, and they’re more likely to be born prematurely and with lower birth weights. For every child who is conceived successfully via IVF, so many others are brought into this world, mistreated, and discarded before they’re even born.
Above all, IVF is disrespectful to the sanctity of the embryos’ humanity. God is the Author of Life, and each soul is precious and unrepeatable, not only in DNA but in the gifts and personality God has ordained for that individual. In the book of Jeremiah, God says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you” (Jeremiah 1:5). Though often advertised as an infertility “treatment,” IVF lends no respect to the human body or God’s authority over life and is thus a “wolf in sheep’s clothing.” How then should we combat it?
First, we must support those who are infertile. They have been given a heavy cross, and this can lead to much pain and desperation. They need the acceptance of their loved ones and a compassionate heart to speak to. We should pray for them and their journey of trust in God. We must spread the truth about IVF as well because many do not fully understand how it is problematic. Even faithful Catholics, unaware of or in disagreement with the Church’s teachings on it, have used IVF. Sharing information that highlights the physical and moral consequences helps those who would otherwise not come into contact with documents such as Donum Vitae understand the gravity of the procedure. Speaking out against the dehumanizing treatment of the embryos raises awareness of the hundreds of thousands of lives that are in stasis or experimented upon.
Lastly, we should encourage adoption for couples unable to conceive. The cost of IVF is around $15,000 for one cycle, though many cycles may be required to achieve pregnancy; adoption prices can range from free foster care adoption to $70,000 or more.
Adoption provides a home for a child who has none. The adoption of children fills the longing for a family in the couple’s hearts and the hole left for parents in the child’s.
The hidden evil of IVF can be exposed if we take up the banner of Christ in honor of the sanctity of the human person and speak out with compassion, understanding, and truth. We must work in union to create a culture of life where every heart feels the love of God in their family.
Abigail Richardson won second place in the high school category of the Culture of Life Studies Program’s 2024 Pro-Life Essay Contest.