Reproductive Tourism in Europe: Infertility and Human Rights (Global Insights‪)‬

The rapid development of health and health-related technologies poses substantial challenges to global and regional institutions beyond the usual attention given to pandemic disease, malnutrition, and sanitation standards. Given the mobility of knowledge and people, undeniably beneficial new technologies frequently raise serious ethical and public policy issues for which governments have difficulty finding national solutions. The globalization of assisted reproductive technology (ART) is emblematic. Gametes and embryos may be passed from country to country in search of one that permits the desired treatment or allows the chosen gametes to be used. For example, if a couple in Sweden seek donor insemination not subject to the Swedish regime of identified sperm donors, they might come to Britain for treatment with anonymous sperm donation. If a couple is not allowed to choose the sex of their baby in Britain, they may go to Italy, which does permit it, and return to the UK for the birth. In short, national regulation of these practices is likely to be ineffective. Is the risk that pertains to "procreative tourism" (1) a price worth paying for freedom of choice, or should governments seek to control it? Should they create international agreement to define and uphold universal standards?