Comparative analysis of ethical standards for the utilization of Assisted Reproductive Technologies in Brazil: Resolutions from 1992 to 2023

TL;DR

The paper analyzes how ethical standards for assisted reproductive technologies in Brazil have evolved from 1992 to 2023.

Contribution

It provides a comparative analysis of the Federal Council of Medicine's evolving ethical guidelines for assisted reproduction in Brazil.

Findings

Brazil has 192 clinics offering assisted human reproduction services as of 2022.

The Federal Council of Medicine has issued guidelines since 1992 to regulate assisted reproductive technologies in Brazil.

Ethical dilemmas persist despite the success of assisted reproductive technologies in Brazil.

Abstract

Due to its documented records and technological achievements, in vitro embryo
creation technology is still honored worldwide forty years after Louise Brown’s
birth on July 25, 1978. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that one in
six people globally who are of reproductive age may have infertility at some
point in their lives. In this environment, it has become noteworthy for couples
or patients to want to become pregnant through operations carried out by
Assisted Human Reproduction Centers (AHRCs). This continual quest for AHRCs has
already been demonstrated in Brazil, where data from the National Embryo
Production System (SISEMBRIO) show that as of 2022, there were around 192
clinics nationally that offered AHRC services, and a total of 284,210 frozen
embryos. The ethical conundrums that these techniques provide persist
notwithstanding their remarkable success in helping patients achieve clinical
pregnancies and viable embryos. The absence of legislation on reproductive
assistance is another significant factor pertaining to Brazilian regulatory
resolutions. As a result, clinics, hospitals, and sperm banks operating in this
field are required to adhere to guidelines created by the Federal Council of
Medicine (CFM). The first resolution was published on September 30, 1992. In
light of the aforementioned, acquiring and keeping an eye on the standards that
the CFM has developed over time helps enhance knowledge of the moral and legal
framework that governs Brazil. Thus, the current study attempts to provide a
comparative analysis of Brazilian ethical norms regarding the use of assisted
human reproduction technology.