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SPUC condemns free IVF proposal
Westminster, 9 August 2003--The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) has reacted critically to reports that the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) may recommend that IVF treatment should be offered free to all women under 40 who experience fertility problems. Anthony Ozimic, SPUC political secretary, commented: "Although we
have great sympathy for couples who suffer from infertility, IVF
involves experimenting with, discarding and demeaning vast numbers of
newly-conceived embryonic unborn children. No fewer than 1.2 million
human embryos have been killed or left frozen as a result of IVF. Free
IVF will mean that countless thousands more human beings at their most
vulnerable stage of development will be threatened by death or
indignity."
Mr. Ozimic continued: "It must be remembered that IVF is a
very unsuccessful way of treating infertility and the desire of
scientists to obtain human embryos to experiment upon has resulted in
the sidelining of other, more successful forms of infertility treatment
which don't involve destructive embryo techniques.
"Health care resources should prioritise ethical and successful ways of helping childless couples - ways which don't involve wasting and degrading human life", concluded Mr. Ozimic.
