Assisted Reproductive Technology: ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection)

ICSI is the acronym indicating a new reproductive technique available since 1992, consisting in the injection of one sperm into one oocyte and subsequent transfer of the embryo in a woman’s womb. ICSI appears to be very efficient to overcome some kind of infertility and is a promising way to increase control over human reproduction. However, doubts and objections have been raised from both medical and religious quarters. Medical challenges had mostly been directed to the safety of ICSI, but most recent epidemiological research made clear that ICSI children are as healthy as sexually conceived children. Religious criticisms come mostly from the Roman Catholicism, which does not accept the separation between procreation and the conjugal act involved in any form of assisted reproduction. In ICSI such a separation is more neat and complete, and therefore, this technique is even worse than others. However, from a more general bioethical viewpoint, ICSI appears to be a new step forward for a better control of human reproduction which may open new frontiers for humankind.