Reproductive System & Sexual Disorders: Current Research
Open Access
ISSN: 2161-038X
+44 1300 500008
ISSN: 2161-038X
+44 1300 500008
Alegria Vaz Mouyal
University College London- Institute for Women�s Health- London
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: Reprod Syst Sex Disord
Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ARTs) trail common ideals and values; they force individuals to question their moral limits when deciding which treatment is more appropriate. Ethical concerns are raised and this is common in religious individuals. The Jewish religion is an example of this. Judaism entails a relationship between practical actions and faith. Jewish law imposes a strong hold on Orthodox Jews and this is particularly seen when it comes to procreation. My thesis discusses Jewish views to various ARTs, including IVF, gamete donation, surrogacy and preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) for sex selection to understand which ARTs. The Torah, the Holiest text in Judaism was explored to understand the basic Jewish laws that relate to fertility. Other researched Jewish sources include important voices within Judaism such as Rabbis of significant value within Jewish communities. Jewish law is clear and emphasizes the need to procreate and the importance of having a stable and nuclear Jewish family. Opinions amongst Rabbis vary between permitting treatments under certain circumstances or completely forbidding their practice. Judaism is accepting of the help that these treatments provide but there is no general consensus on which treatments should or should not be permitted. Decisions are made on an individual basis for each couple. ARTs will continue to evolve and further guidance will be needed to set a decisive framework for the observant groups within Judaism.
Email: Alegria.mouyal.13@ucl.ac.uk