Assisted reproductive technology: considerations for the nonheterosexual population and single parents

Reflections on appropriately liberalizing ART for groups requiring special attention in China

PURPOSE

The continuous advancement of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) and the evolving attitudes towards marriage and fertility among the general public have led to an increasing number of groups requiring special attention (GRSA) desiring to fulfill their reproductive needs through these technologies. These groups include single women (including single mothers without children), same-sex couples, and women in high-risk occupations, among others. The purpose of this paper is to explore the feasibility of appropriately liberalizing ART for GRSA.

METHODS

This paper discusses the advantages of a moderate liberalization of ART for GRSA from two perspectives: a theoretical basis and a practical significance level. It also analyzes the current constraints on liberalizing ART and presents suggestions for moderate liberalization.

RESULTS

The moderate liberalization of ART can provide technical support for respecting and realizing the reproductive freedom of GRSA, which has certain theoretical and practical significance. However, it is also subject to constraints.

CONCLUSION

We call for government to keep pace with the times, based on the current stage of political, economic, and social development, to further recognize and protect citizens' reproductive rights, prioritize the practical needs of the public, and explore policies and regulations for gradually loosening the restrictions on ART for GRSA.

Family-Centered Care for LGBTQ+ Parents of Infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: An Integrative Review

BACKGROUND

Having an infant in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) can disrupt parent well-being, the transition to parenthood, and the typical trajectories of infant and child health. For lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or other sexual and gender minority identity (LGBTQ+) parents, this stress may be compounded by health disparities and fear of stigma and discrimination; however, research is lacking about LGBTQ+ parents of infants in the NICU.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this integrative review was to better understand the experiences of LGBTQ+ parents of NICU infants, with a focus on experiences of stigma and discrimination, sources of strength and resilience, and provision of family-centered care.

METHOD

We searched EBSCOHost, ProQuest, Web of Science, and Google Scholar between 30 May 2023 and 18 September 2023 for empirical studies published in English in peer-reviewed scholarly journals in which LGBTQ+ parents shared their experiences with having infants admitted to the NICU.

RESULTS

We identified six articles that met inclusion criteria, all of which were qualitative studies that included 12-14 LGBTQ+ parents of NICU infants.

CONCLUSIONS

LGBTQ+ parents in all studies reported instances of perceived stigma and discrimination while their infants were in the NICU, whereas parents in two studies mentioned strength and resilience, and parents in three studies described elements of family-centered care. There is a need for rigorous research on family-centered NICU care that includes questions about sources of strength and resilience in addition to challenges. We propose that future researchers use community engaged methods to center perspectives of LGBTQ+ parents.

Fertility workups: the times they are a-changin'

The workup of patients seeking assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatments has been modified by the tremendous improvements in ART efficacy accomplished recently. Moreover, the fact that ART is nowadays also offered to women who are not necessarily infertile-seeking genetic testing of their embryos-lead to important changes in how we investigate ART candidates. All the facets of these changes have been reviewed in the present introduction to this View-and-Review series on modern-day infertility workups.