A. Data
1. What is artificial insemination?
AI is the instrumental deposition of semen in the female genital tract, in the absence of the marital act. If semen from a third party is used, it is called heterologous artificial insemination.
2. What is the success rate of artificial insemination?
In the year 2000 the success rate of AI does not reach 20% of attempts. If sperm banks are used, the success rate drops to 10% (because freezing affects the semen).
3. Sperm banks?
These are companies that preserve frozen human semen and offer it presenting the expected qualities — race, constitution, etc. — so that some characteristics of the child can be chosen. In 1999 this business reached the figure of one million dollars.
B. Ethics of artificial insemination
1. Ethics of homologous artificial insemination?
Homologous means that the husband's semen is used. But the marital act is replaced by a technical intervention. This is not correct and there are several explanations.
- The dignity of man demands that his conception be the fruit of the love and self-giving of his parents. Being born as a result of a syringe sounds good in animal husbandry; it is proper to interventions in the animal world. With these procedures the human category is mistreated, since it is unworthy of a person to be produced by artificial techniques, as if one were an object.
- The dignity of the parents is reduced in their parenthood. The father who is replaced by a syringe loses his standing. And the mother also suffers a loss by lending herself to this.
- The sexuality of the parents is impoverished in its dignity as a gift that enables them to bring children into the world. Before, even if it failed it remained a gift replaced by nothing. In contrast, with artificial insemination, sexuality is diminished since its function is carried out by an injection.
2. And heterologous artificial insemination?
Here the problem is compounded by using semen from a third party. In addition to the previous ethical difficulties, marital problems arise from the intrusion of a stranger. And psychological disorders appear in the father, who feels less of a man in comparison with the other.
3. And if a woman wishes to have her own child?
This is an excellent aspiration, and the absence of children is a great sorrow that must be understood. But desires usually have a limit and are not achieved at any price. For example, a child should not be obtained by stealing from another mother, nor by getting pregnant by just anyone, nor in any manner.
4. What does the Catholic Church say about insemination?
The Magisterium of the Church speaks in several documents about the immorality of artificial insemination. Nos. 499 to 501 of the Compendium summarize this teaching. These points recall that
- procreation must remain united to the conjugal act.
- technique must not dominate the person in their origin.
- children have the right to be the fruit of the conjugal act of their parents, and the right to be respected as persons from the moment of their conception.
- The Church understands the pain of sterility and advises these spouses to take up the Cross, to use adoption, or to carry out services for the benefit of their neighbor where they can exercise the generosity of their heart.