Applied medical science and technology have now created the conditions where it is possible for infertile couples, who would previously have been condemned not to have children by the usual biological means, to achieve this objective. First, stunning scientific advances in medically assisted reproduction have made it possible to overcome infertility arising from insufficient ovulation or low sperm-count by way of in vitro fertilization. Secondly, the embryo thus produced can now be implanted in another woman´s uterus. This surrogate pregnancy has given rise to a number of ethical, religious and legal questions. On the one hand, the law has a relatively benign view of this practice-so long as it remains within the context of the conventional family structure. Likewise ethics has already marked out the stages in this process. Religious leaders, however, remain deeply opposed and unwilling to enter into dialogue on the issue. Although Brazil is the largest Catholic country in the world, increasing numbers of couples in this country are taking advantage of this new scientific resource, even though they are aware that it conflicts with official religious doctrine. Bioethical debate of this issue has only recently begun and needs to bear in mind the extent to which reproductive technology involves new groups who are not covered by the classical definition of the nuclear family.
Replacement pregnancy; Surrogate motherhood; Heterologous reproduction