The American Spectator has published a commentary discussing the potential risks associated with in vitro fertilization (IVF) and urging policymakers to consider restorative reproductive medicine as an alternative. The piece places IVF within a broader bioethics debate, addressing issues such as embryo selection, preimplantation genetic testing, and prospective germline editing.
According to the commentary, historical eugenics and recent industry advancements in embryo screening are cited to argue that technocratic selection pressures may devalue human life. The article advocates for "restorative reproductive medicine," which focuses on diagnosing and treating underlying infertility rather than bypassing it. This approach aligns with right-of-center skepticism towards embryo discard and commodification while emphasizing family formation.
In the United States, assisted reproductive technology is widely practiced. In 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recorded 435,426 ART cycles at 457 clinics, resulting in 94,039 live-birth deliveries and 98,289 live-born infants—approximately 2.6% of all U.S. infants. Notably, 184,423 cycles involved egg or embryo banking where embryos were frozen for future use. These statistics highlight the scale of embryo creation, testing, freezing, and disposition decisions that fuel ethical debates about selection, storage, and discard.
Regulatory milestones illustrate risks from boundary-pushing research. In December 2019, a Chinese court sentenced He Jiankui to three years in prison and fined him 3 million yuan for illegally creating gene-edited babies—a case condemned by scientists globally. This incident underscores the potential harm when reproductive technologies outpace ethical and legal frameworks. Meanwhile, Orchid promotes whole-genome embryo screening by sequencing "over 99%" of embryo DNA—a move signaling industry momentum toward broader trait or risk profiling that policymakers may soon need to address.
Currently in the U.S., policy blocks clinical heritable genome editing through annual appropriations riders preventing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from reviewing applications to create genetically modified embryos intended for pregnancy; additionally, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) withholds funding for such endeavors. The American Spectator is a conservative magazine published by the nonprofit American Spectator Foundation based in Alexandria, Virginia. It was originally founded in 1924 before being renamed in 1967 and provides right-of-center commentary on politics and culture through both print and digital platforms.
