The Messy, Complicated Nature of Assisted Reproductive Technology

Consensus is not a word used when talking about assisted reproductive technology, or ART, for short. In the past, we've reported on the controversial issues of designer babies and embryo adoption, but, recently, the Los Angeles Times detailed the particularly complex case of Dr. Mimi C. Lee and Stephen E. Findley, a divorced couple who are now battling over the future of their frozen embryo. It's a case that has the potential to set a legal precedent in California for disputes of this type.

"If Lee prevails, Findley could be forced to become a parent against his will. If Findley wins, it is extremely unlikely that Lee, now 46, will ever have a genetically related child," Times reporter Maura Dolan writes. Lee was diagnosed with cancer years ago, preventing her from being able to have a baby without the embryo.

While their particular case is newsworthy, ART is far from unique. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2012, 65,000 babies were born via assisted reproductive technology—that’s 1.5 percent of all American infants.

But questions concerning the morality and legality of...