This inherent need to belong has been utilized (some may even say exploited) by organized groups that offer their members a sort of surrogate family relationship; think religions, for example. Other industries have popped up that could be considered to be taking advantage of those who are seeking the comfort of a family. One that immediately comes to mind is adoption, and its medical alternative, the fertility clinics.
I think it’s important to separate the two, although both ideally have the same net objective: to allow a person or a couple otherwise unable (or sometimes unwilling) to reproduce to have children. Historically, adoption has been less focused on parents and more concerned with finding homes for orphaned children; that adoptive parents would be also be fulfilled because of the arrangement was a nice bonus, although seldom the primary goal. Sometimes adoptive parents are perfectly able to reproduce and want children, but choose not to have their own for various reasons.
Fertility clinics and other related reproductive technologies come at things from a different angle. Here, difficulties in conceiving are being addressed through various procedures. The situation may involve someone without a partner able to supply one half of the sperm/egg requirements, or a person (male or female) who has a medical issue that makes it difficult for them to conceive or contribute to conception naturally. The important distinction is there are no children directly involved in these procedures and thus fewer ethical and moral issues around the commercial aspect of the procedures. People are willing to pay money for treatment and, rightly or wrongly, the industry has grown based on this.
What does this mean for someone who is considering artificial insemination or other procedures? Do your homework. There are many organizations that genuinely care and provide quality treatment, so don’t entrust such an important part of your life with a substandard clinic that provides minimal services to maximize profits.
About The Author:
When Mary Jones was born, her mother had been widowed for several years and found she was uninterested in another relationship, yet yearning for a child. She turned to sperm donation, a concept that was just beginning to gain popularity. As an only child raised by a single parent, Mary was crushed when her mother suffered a heart attack and passed away at an early age. Determined to discover if she might perhaps have unknown siblings elsewhere in the state, Mary finally turned to a donor sibling registry to conduct her search. Today, she counsels other children conceived via artificial insemination technology and assists them in locating lost relatives.
