IVF: The Untold Frozen Holocaust
Nov 25, 2014 21:57:08 GMT -5
Post by PurplePuppy on Nov 25, 2014 21:57:08 GMT -5
IVF: The Untold Frozen Holocaust
The Guttmacher institute reports that 1,060,000 million abortions were performed in 2011, and the trend of the number of abortions over the past few years suggests that the number of surgical abortions performed in 2012 was even less.
Our analysis of data compiled by the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technologies (which accounts for more than 90% of the existing fertility clinics in the United States) suggests that between 790,000 and 1,100,000 children died or were consigned to freezers as a result of IVF in 2012.
The number of children that were either frozen or killed through the process of in vitro fertilization is not readily available. SART supplies a basic summary of success rates compiled from data obtained from their participating fertility clinics. The information that we are given consists of the number of IVF cycles broken down by the age of the participants along with things such as live birth rate per embryo transfer, number of twins/triplets, and whether or not the embryos used in that cycle were frozen, fresh, or produced from a donated egg.
From the SART data, we were able to directly calculate the number of babies born through IVF (62,000) and the number of embryos implanted in IVF cycles to produce the number of children who died in utero (240,000). However, none of SART’s publically available data gives clarity on three questions critical to completing our analysis: 1) how many eggs are harvested per retrieval, 2) what percentage of those eggs are successfully fertilized, and 3) what percentage of embryos that are frozen survive the thaw to go on to be implanted.
Based on a survey of the information readily available regarding the number of embryos created per IVF cycle, we determined what we considered to be reasonable estimates for these values. SART states in one of their fact sheets that “On the average, 8 to 15 oocytes are retrieved per patient.” Based on this number, our low estimate used the value of 11.5 eggs harvested per retrieval. However, we also analyzed a number of public statements (68 in total) made by IVF patients on an Internet fertility forum regarding how many of their eggs were harvested. In this data, the average number of harvested eggs was approximately 15; therefore, we used this value for the high end of our range.
We could find no hard data to suggest what percentage of harvested eggs are successfully fertilized. However, a number of researchers believe that the ratio is between 60% and 70%. Based upon these views, our low estimate used the value of 65% for fertilization rate. Our survey of statements made by IVF patients showed that roughly 68.5% of harvested eggs were successfully fertilized, and this value was used to calculate our high estimate.
Data regarding thaw survival rates is highly inconsistent. Fertility clinics report anywhere from a 30% to 90% thaw survival rate. In addition, various researchers report survival percentages between 45% and 99%, depending upon the type and condition of the embryo. Based on these data, we determined that a 78.5% survival rate was a reasonable assumption.
Because organizations like SART are not required to report statistics on the average number of eggs retrieved, the percentage of eggs successfully fertilized, and the percentage of embryos that survive being frozen and thawed, we are not able to determine with certainty the number of embryonic human beings who died or were frozen in 2012 due to IVF. However, basing our calculations on assumptions that are (1) consistent with authoritative sources, and (2) based upon reports from IVF patients, we are confident that indeed between 790,000 and 1,100,000 embryonic human beings were either destroyed or abandoned as a result of the practice of IVF in 2012.
We expect that the most common objection to our analysis will be that these numbers confuse the issue. “Many children die in the process of normal reproduction in their mother’s fallopian tubes before their lives are ever even detected, so it is unfair to demonize IVF for the loss of all of those children.”
Our responses to this argument are twofold. First, it must be recognized that the entire group of 1.2 million embryos has been dehumanized by our society, the doctors, and even by their parents, regarded as property to be used to further the parents’ fertility. They are casually sacrificed for the lives of their siblings to be born. Whereas loving and compassionate parents grieve the miscarriage of their children whenever they are aware of their death, parents undergoing IVF do not typically grieve these embryos’ deaths. They have become merely a statistic to inform patients on how quickly a doctor can get them a born child. This is happening to this entire class of our neighbors and is horrific, callous treatment of humans made in the Image of God.
Second, even if a generous number of “natural” deaths were granted, the number of embryos discarded or frozen is still staggering. We computed this number, accounting for two different things: 1) an estimate that 55% of all embryos die as a result of genetic defects in the sperm or egg used to produce them, and 2) the known number of 240,000 children who died in utero for the cycles analyzed. The result is that between 140,000 and 280,000 embryos were either willfully discarded or frozen in 2012. A quarter of a million. This number is still enormous, a horrific treatment of the weakest and most helpless among us.
For perspective, consider the outcome of 20 embryos created by IVF: Sadly, 14 of them will die from “natural” causes. 5 of them, however, will be either willfully discarded or cryogenically frozen. And all this is to produce only 1 child born by this process.
5 are abandoned or destroyed for every 1 born.
19 are dehumanized and treated as expendable for the 1 who is born.
Story continues at link
The Guttmacher institute reports that 1,060,000 million abortions were performed in 2011, and the trend of the number of abortions over the past few years suggests that the number of surgical abortions performed in 2012 was even less.
Our analysis of data compiled by the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technologies (which accounts for more than 90% of the existing fertility clinics in the United States) suggests that between 790,000 and 1,100,000 children died or were consigned to freezers as a result of IVF in 2012.
The number of children that were either frozen or killed through the process of in vitro fertilization is not readily available. SART supplies a basic summary of success rates compiled from data obtained from their participating fertility clinics. The information that we are given consists of the number of IVF cycles broken down by the age of the participants along with things such as live birth rate per embryo transfer, number of twins/triplets, and whether or not the embryos used in that cycle were frozen, fresh, or produced from a donated egg.
From the SART data, we were able to directly calculate the number of babies born through IVF (62,000) and the number of embryos implanted in IVF cycles to produce the number of children who died in utero (240,000). However, none of SART’s publically available data gives clarity on three questions critical to completing our analysis: 1) how many eggs are harvested per retrieval, 2) what percentage of those eggs are successfully fertilized, and 3) what percentage of embryos that are frozen survive the thaw to go on to be implanted.
Based on a survey of the information readily available regarding the number of embryos created per IVF cycle, we determined what we considered to be reasonable estimates for these values. SART states in one of their fact sheets that “On the average, 8 to 15 oocytes are retrieved per patient.” Based on this number, our low estimate used the value of 11.5 eggs harvested per retrieval. However, we also analyzed a number of public statements (68 in total) made by IVF patients on an Internet fertility forum regarding how many of their eggs were harvested. In this data, the average number of harvested eggs was approximately 15; therefore, we used this value for the high end of our range.
We could find no hard data to suggest what percentage of harvested eggs are successfully fertilized. However, a number of researchers believe that the ratio is between 60% and 70%. Based upon these views, our low estimate used the value of 65% for fertilization rate. Our survey of statements made by IVF patients showed that roughly 68.5% of harvested eggs were successfully fertilized, and this value was used to calculate our high estimate.
Data regarding thaw survival rates is highly inconsistent. Fertility clinics report anywhere from a 30% to 90% thaw survival rate. In addition, various researchers report survival percentages between 45% and 99%, depending upon the type and condition of the embryo. Based on these data, we determined that a 78.5% survival rate was a reasonable assumption.
Because organizations like SART are not required to report statistics on the average number of eggs retrieved, the percentage of eggs successfully fertilized, and the percentage of embryos that survive being frozen and thawed, we are not able to determine with certainty the number of embryonic human beings who died or were frozen in 2012 due to IVF. However, basing our calculations on assumptions that are (1) consistent with authoritative sources, and (2) based upon reports from IVF patients, we are confident that indeed between 790,000 and 1,100,000 embryonic human beings were either destroyed or abandoned as a result of the practice of IVF in 2012.
We expect that the most common objection to our analysis will be that these numbers confuse the issue. “Many children die in the process of normal reproduction in their mother’s fallopian tubes before their lives are ever even detected, so it is unfair to demonize IVF for the loss of all of those children.”
Our responses to this argument are twofold. First, it must be recognized that the entire group of 1.2 million embryos has been dehumanized by our society, the doctors, and even by their parents, regarded as property to be used to further the parents’ fertility. They are casually sacrificed for the lives of their siblings to be born. Whereas loving and compassionate parents grieve the miscarriage of their children whenever they are aware of their death, parents undergoing IVF do not typically grieve these embryos’ deaths. They have become merely a statistic to inform patients on how quickly a doctor can get them a born child. This is happening to this entire class of our neighbors and is horrific, callous treatment of humans made in the Image of God.
Second, even if a generous number of “natural” deaths were granted, the number of embryos discarded or frozen is still staggering. We computed this number, accounting for two different things: 1) an estimate that 55% of all embryos die as a result of genetic defects in the sperm or egg used to produce them, and 2) the known number of 240,000 children who died in utero for the cycles analyzed. The result is that between 140,000 and 280,000 embryos were either willfully discarded or frozen in 2012. A quarter of a million. This number is still enormous, a horrific treatment of the weakest and most helpless among us.
For perspective, consider the outcome of 20 embryos created by IVF: Sadly, 14 of them will die from “natural” causes. 5 of them, however, will be either willfully discarded or cryogenically frozen. And all this is to produce only 1 child born by this process.
5 are abandoned or destroyed for every 1 born.
19 are dehumanized and treated as expendable for the 1 who is born.
Story continues at link
