Since the 1960s, opportunities for women and men to manage, limit, prolong or augment their fertility have increased dramatically through methods such as in-vitro fertilization (IVF), social egg/sperm freezing, surrogacy and other strategies to reorder human reproduction in the laboratory. This major advance, which medically assisted reproduction has made over recent decades, involved the development of a wide range of technologies, which enabled people who were formerly incapable of procreating to have biologically- and/or genetically-related offspring. Such technologies intervene at various points in the reproductive process by replacing or enhancing “natural” biological functions. This no longer occurs only in cases where a person is infertile owing to illness, but also in cases of social infertility owing to age, sexual orientation, career plans, etc. 

However, these technologies and practices also raise numerous and enormous ethical, regulatory and social challenges, e.g.: Should we genetically engineer “better” people? What are the ethical issues related to human embryo research? Who should have access to assisted reproductive technologies; for example, are age limits ethically justified?  What is it actually about the desire to have a genetically related child? To what extent could this wish be critically challenged? Is maternal autonomy always ensured during pregnancy and childbirth in Switzerland? 

This seminar will critically engage with these and many other crucial questions from interdisciplinary perspectives. A number of different technologies and practices such as uterus transplantation, human embryo research, CRISPR genome editing technologies, social egg/sperm freezing, mitochondrial replacement techniques, prenatal tests, in-vitro gametogenesis etc. will be used as case studies to discuss the ethical, social and political challenges and implications of their development and application. Speakers will be leading international experts from the fields of reproductive medicine, ethics, law, etc. 

Location: Online class. ZOOM link is provided via ADAM or by writing to Johanna Eichinger (johanna.eichinger@clutterunibas.ch)