This chapter focuses on the ethics of current developments in the context of human reproduction, ranging from preconception care to assisted reproduction to embryo selection to foetal therapy. What makes ethical debate in this field so challenging is that many issues arise from several stakeholders’ interests that extend beyond the patient need to be considered. For instance: lifestyle choices in pregnancy are not just a matter of women’s autonomy, but also of parental responsibility. In decision-making concerning genomic information, the interests of family members may be implicated as well. Many of the issues discussed in this chapter require further research into relevant empirical questions (e.g. preferences and impacts), as well as ethical analysis and societal debate. Although, in some of these debates, societal concerns about the ‘acceptability per se’ of a new development may have to be addressed, such as in germline genome editing (GGE), ethical reflection and debate should not be regarded as limited to such questions. Beyond issues of acceptability, challenging ethical questions relate to the conditions under which a specific technology or intervention (such as preconception carrier screening) can responsibly be introduced and offered. In these debates, the input of all stakeholders (patients, professionals, society at large) is essential.
