Simulated gestation: The social and ethical implications of in vivo fertilisation technology

TL;DR

The paper discusses the ethical issues of a device that simulates gestation and how it affects people's views on reproduction.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of 'simulated gestation' to address ethical and social implications of new reproductive technologies.

Findings

Marketing in vivo fertilisation as gestation may mislead users.

The concept of simulated gestation could help recognize diverse reproductive experiences.

There is a need to be inclusive of varied gestative identities in reproductive technologies.

Abstract

INVOcell is an in vivo fertilisation device marketed as an alternative to in vitro fertilisation treatment. In this paper, we explore the ethical implications that arise when this device is framed as a type or process of ‘gestation’. We anticipate several effects that may be of ethical interest: marketing in vivo fertilisation as being comparable to traditional gestation may be misleading and even harmful to its users, but on the other hand, it captures a potential need to acknowledge and be more inclusive of those who wish to identify diverse reproductive experiences as gestative experiences. In light of these insights, we articulate the concept of ‘simulated gestation’ as a novel framework to explain, and potentially accommodate, the diverse ways in which assisted reproductive technologies are shaping people's ideas about—and desires for—gestation.