Assisted Reproductive TechnologiesReproduction is the ability of a species to perpetuate itself and in the human species it is considered a right in today's society. Both males and females feel the pressure that to be fully male or fully female they must procreate (Conrad, 1997). While this is not true for all men and women, for many married couples the ability to have children is important. Only recently have infertile couples been provided with options that would allow them to conceive a child. These options include the various forms of reproductive technology that have been developed over the past 20-25 years. While these technological advances have brought joy and hope to many infertile couples, the advances have also brought myriad moral and ethical dilemmas. It is necessary for everyone to receive education about reproductive technology to be better equipped to deal with the moral and ethical issues that this new technology brings to today's world. Background on Infertility Infertility is defined as “the inability of a man to fertilize or a woman to conceive” after one year of regular sexual intercourse without any form of birth control (Wekesser, 1996). Surprisingly enough, in a 1992 study, one in six couples were found to be infertile (Blank & Merrick, 1995). This statistic has remained static since the 1980s, but was previously on the rise. Considering the United States alone, it has been estimated that infertility affects approximately 2.8 million couples out of the 600 million Americans of reproductive age (Infertility Tests, 1996). Contrary to what many believe to be true, infertility is caused by: as many men as women. In fact, about 40% of cases are att...... half of document ......alethics/Bioethics/ReproductiveTechnologies/sld001.htm(October 16, 1999).."Infertility: Potential Causes." (1997-1999). Baby Center. http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/4088.html. (October 16, 1999). “Infertility Testing: Men and Women.” (1996). Better health and medicine. http://www.betterhealth.com/HK/ArticleMain/0,1349,178-496-300,00.htm. (October 4, 1999). Nelson, James. (1973). Human medicine: ethical perspectives on new medical issues. Minneapolis: Augusta Publishing House. Rogers, J.R. (ed.). (1988). Medical ethics-human choices. Scottdale, Pennsylvania: Herald Press.Thomasma, D.C. and Kushman, T. (Eds.). (1996). From birth to death. New York: Cambridge University Press. Wekesser, Carol. (and.). (1996). Reproductive technologies. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc. Yoder, Monroe. (1998). “Technology-assisted reproduction.” Senior Biology Seminar Student Papers.