Christian Medical Fellowship Urges British Rethink as Italy’s Fertility Law Fails

While the attempt to relax the fertility law in Italy was defeated on Monday due to strong opposition from the Roman Catholic Church, Christian medical professionals in the UK have called on the British government to rethink the issue regarding infertility.

The Christian Medical Fellowship (CMF) has applauded the firm stand of the Italian people against legalising embryo research and disposal. Currently, Italy is believed to have the strictest fertility law in Europe, which prohibits egg and sperm donation, screening embryos for disease, and embryo research as well as limiting the number of embryos created for each treatment to three.

In contrast, the fertility laws in the UK are amongst the most liberal in Europe, according to the CMF. In August 2004, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) in Britain granted a licence to a team of scientists in Newcastle University to perform therapeutic cloning, which is the first of its kind in Europe.

As the British government allows more liberal legislation on embryo research and fertility treatment, pro-lifers and most conservative Christians are fearing the slippery slope over bioethical values and family values in the UK.

The CMF complimented the Italians’ efforts in defending the traditional moral values over human life, "The Italian people have given a clear signal that they do not want to go down the road of liberalising fertility laws. They recognise that embryos are the most vulnerable form of human life and as such are worthy of the utmost respect and protection."

The CMF addressed the serious infertility crisis in the UK. Many couples are choosing to delay having children for career or personal reasons. A government survey in 2004 showed that half of those women who put off trying for a baby until their 30s will never have one.

Increasing sexually transmitted infections is another major factor of infertility. In addition, the fall in the numbers of babies available for adoption adds to the demand for infertility treatments. The fall in numbers available for adoption has been rumoured to have come about because more women have chosen abortions rather than giving their babies up for adoption. Abortions have risen from a few thousand to 190,000 per year in the UK as it has now become easily available in the country.

Peter Saunders, General Secretary of the CMF concluded, "The Italian people have given a strong lead to all other Europeans. It is time for the UK in particular to start seriously addressing real causes of our own infertility crisis - like sexually transmitted infections, abortion and delays in childbirth - and to embrace treatments for infertility which truly respect the humanity of the human embryo."