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Jared Gamer wrote:

Hi, guys —

  • If you believe birth control should not be used because it interferes with God's potential plan for your life, do you also believe that the use of IVF or any fertility drug is also going against God's plan and should not be used?

Thank you,

Jared Gamer

  { If the Church disapproves of birth control since it tampers with God's plan, should IVF be avoided? }

Bob replied:

Jared,

IVF is problematic because it eliminates the conjugal act. Furthermore, it usually involves the destruction of embryos (more eggs than required are fertilized to insure success and the undesired ones are either discarded or frozen.)

Fertility drugs do not have these inherent problems so they have legitimate possibilities, provided the risk of over-fertilization does not make them dangerous to the mother or children. There have been octuplets born as a result of drug therapy and that can create a crisis of its own. On the face, however, drug therapy is not intrinsically evil.

So whenever you evaluate sexual issues regarding fertility and conception, keep in mind the fundamental principle:

Life is meant to be the result of the unitive and procreative act of one man and one woman (the conjugal act).

God said:

Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh.

Genesis 2:24 (RSVCE)

Peace,

Bob Kirby

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