New technologies present new ethical dilemmas. Our ethical intuitions may mislead us in relation to nuclear power, vaccines, GMOs and assisted reproductive technologies (ART). In Ireland, between 1999 and 2008 the number of ART treatment cycles increased by 265%. The implications and potentials of such technologies are profound, challenging existing understanding of humans’ relationships to reproduction. Because such technologies are comparatively unregulated, and their use has only been occurring for a single generation, detailed investigation of how awareness of ART influences understanding of personal fertility is needed.
Data (N = 607) were collected through an on-line survey which included knowledge of fertility, knowledge of ART, personal fertility and ART vignettes.
Latent class analysis was used on demographics and attitudes. A typology of five groups (3 pro and 2 anti ART) was revealed. This typology was validated against other self descriptions and used to predict attitudes to ART in other populations.
Across generations, there is a persistent theme in a significant section of the population that ART is “against nature”. In this group, this intuition survives personal concerns about fertility. Encouragingly, prejudice against non traditional family arrangements e.g. lesbian & gay families was not marked in this population.