IVF Ethical and Moral issues you should know as a Catholic

On February 18, 2025 President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order expanding access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) for Americans.

The Order directs policy recommendations to protect IVF access and aggressively reduce out-of-pocket and health plan costs for such treatments.   
The recommendations will focus on how to ensure reliable access to IVF. Priority will also be placed on addressing any current policies, including those that require legislation, that exacerbate the cost of IVF treatments. The Order recognizes the importance of family formation and that our Nation’s public policy must make it easier for loving and longing mothers and fathers to have children. 

This sounds great for those that are having issues with conceiving a child, however what are the implications ethically and morally as a Catholic with this procedure?

First, lets examine the science behind IVF. I want to begin with an opening paragraph from the Mayo Clinic, which prominently states: “IVF, is a complex series of procedures that can lead to a pregnancy. It's a treatment for infertility, a condition in which you can't get pregnant after at least a year of trying for most couples. IVF also can be used to prevent passing on genetic problems to a child.” There’s more than a couple of issues in that paragraph.

The following is also from the Mayo Clinic and again, many issues ethically and morally are presented and the uninformed (we are called to instruct the ignorant) Catholic simply doesn’t understand this however those Catholics that are informed are making a grave sin by choosing this procedure; please pay attention to the following:

• How many embryos will be transferred? The number of embryos placed in the uterus often is based on age and the number of eggs collected. Since the rate of fertilized eggs attaching to the lining of uterus is lower for older people, usually more embryos are transferred — except for people who use donor eggs from a young person, genetically tested embryos or in certain other cases.
   

Most health care professionals follow specific guidelines to prevent a multiple pregnancy with triplets or more. In some countries, legislation limits the number of embryos that can be transferred. Make sure you and your care team agree on the number of embryos that will be placed in the uterus before the transfer procedure.

• What will you do with any extra embryos? Extra embryos can be frozen and stored for future use for many years. Not all embryos will survive the freezing and thawing process, but most will.

Having frozen embryos can make future cycles of IVF less expensive and less invasive. Or you might be able to donate unused frozen embryos to another couple or a research facility. You also might choose to discard unused embryos. Make sure you feel comfortable making decisions about extra embryos before they are created.

• How will you handle a multiple pregnancy? If more than one embryo is placed in your uterus, IVF can cause you to have a multiple pregnancy. This poses health risks for you and your babies. In some cases, a surgery called fetal reduction can be used to help a person deliver fewer babies with lower health risks. Getting fetal reduction is a major decision with ethical, emotional and mental risks.

Have you thought through the risks linked with using donor eggs, sperm or embryos, or a gestational carrier? A trained counselor with expertise in donor issues can help you understand the concerns, such as the legal rights of the donor. You also may need an attorney to file court papers to help you become legal parents of an embryo that's developing in the uterus.

With all of that, what does the Church teach? The Catholic Church fundamentally opposes In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) due to moral, ethical, and natural law concerns. While infertility is a painful cross for many couples, the Church teaches that the means of conceiving a child must be morally licit, respecting both human dignity and God’s design for procreation. This position is supported by the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Pope Paul VI’s Humanae Vitae, and Pope John Paul II’s Donum Vitae. Furthermore, beyond the theological arguments, IVF presents serious medical risks to both the mother and the child, making it a highly controversial practice even from a purely scientific perspective.

Our Catholic teaching upholds that the marital act must remain unitive and procreative, meaning that the physical act of love between husband and wife must remain open to life (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2366–2367). IVF removes conception from the marital embrace and replaces it with laboratory fertilization, which violates the natural moral order.

Key Theological Points:

• God designed procreation to occur through the marital act, not through a scientific process. This might sound abrupt but it is the truth. Science in of itself is very useful and good with an exception here.
• The dignity of the child is diminished when conceived in a petri dish rather than through the love of husband and wife. As mentioned earlier, egg’s and sperm will be examined and only the strongest are used. It eliminates any sort of “natural” fertilization.
• The couple's role is replaced by technicians, further distancing conception from God’s natural design. A part, but not the sole part, of marriage is the marital act. The love that is expressed between husband and wife, allowing the natural process to occur is removed and replaced.
   

One of the gravest moral concerns with IVF is the routine destruction of embryos. The Church teaches that life begins at conception (CCC 2270), meaning every embryo is a human being with dignity. Now, you need to ask yourself, as a Christian, as a Catholic, do you believe that life begins at conception? If so, hopefully if you did not fully understand why IVF is not morally acceptable, now you can see and understand why.

But there is still more to discuss such as:

• Selective Reduction: Many IVF clinics implant multiple embryos, leading to cases where doctors recommend "selective reduction," which means aborting one or more of the embryos if too many implant.
• Frozen Embryos: Surplus embryos are often created and frozen for later use. Many of these embryos remain abandoned or discarded, effectively treating human life as a disposable commodity.
• High Failure Rates: A significant percentage of embryos do not survive the thawing or implantation process.
   

Since Catholic teaching holds that each human life is sacred, the deliberate destruction of embryos is equivalent to abortion (CCC 2271).

Many IVF procedures involve sperm or egg donation, or even surrogacy. This violates the unity of marriage, introducing third-party participation in the procreation of a child. The Church opposes this because:

• It separates parenthood from the marital bond, making the child a product of multiple individuals.
• It leads to identity confusion for the child, who may never know his or her biological parents.
• It violates the exclusivity of marriage, which is meant to be a sacred bond between husband and wife.

Beyond moral concerns, IVF presents serious risks to the mother. These include hormonal, psychological, and physical dangers associated with fertility treatments and embryo transfer. During IVF, women are given high doses of hormonal drugs to stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs. This can result in Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS), which causes:

• Severe pain, bloating, and fluid accumulation
• Blood clots, kidney failure, or even death in extreme cases

Some studies suggest that hormonal treatments used in IVF increase the risk of ovarian and breast cancer, though research is still ongoing. Nevertheless, the aggressive use of synthetic hormones is a serious concern for long-term health.

Children conceived through IVF face significant health risks due to the artificial fertilization and implantation process. Studies have shown that IVF babies have a higher risk of congenital disabilities, including:

• Heart defects
• Cleft palate
• Digestive issues
• Neurological disorders

The artificial manipulation of sperm and eggs, as well as the freezing and thawing process, may contribute to these risks. IVF pregnancies are more likely to result in preterm birth and low birth weight, which can lead to long-term health complications such as:

• Respiratory distress syndrome
• Developmental delays
• Weakened immune systems

Recent studies suggest a correlation between IVF conception and an increased risk of childhood cancers, though more research is needed to confirm causation. Children conceived through IVF may experience identity struggles, particularly in cases where:

• They were conceived using donor gametes and do not know their biological parents.
• They learn that they were "selected" while their embryonic siblings were discarded or frozen.

While the Catholic Church deeply sympathizes with couples facing infertility, it rejects IVF because it violates the dignity of human life, the sanctity of marriage, and the natural law of procreation. Instead, couples are encouraged to seek ethical alternatives such as:

• NaProTechnology (Natural Procreative Technology): A morally licit fertility treatment that works with a woman's natural cycle.
• Adoption: A beautiful and life-affirming option for couples unable to conceive naturally.

Ultimately, IVF reduces human life to a commodity, creating life in a laboratory rather than in the sacred marital embrace. The risks it poses to both the mother and child further highlight why it is an unethical practice. Catholic teaching calls us to respect the dignity of all human life from conception to natural death, ensuring that every child is conceived in a way that is aligned with God's divine plan.

I hope that this article assist you with understanding our faith more and why IVF presents clear ethical and moral issues for all Christians and why you as a Catholic should know these concerns.

God Bless