Journal: Eikon
Volume: EIKON 07:1 (Spring 2025)
Article: Infertility And The “Package Deal” Of Marriage, Sex, And Procreation
Author: Emma Waters

Eikon 7.1 (Spring 2025) p. 66

Infertility And The “Package Deal” Of Marriage, Sex, And Procreation

Emma Waters

Emma Waters is a Policy Analyst in the Center for Technology and the Human Person at The Heritage Foundation.

Introduction

Imagine you’re cleaning up after your mother’s fiftieth birthday party when she pulls you aside, her expression uneasy. She takes your hands and says, “I need to tell you something. You have two sisters you’ve never known about.”

Shock and confusion flood your mind. Questions spill out: “Where do they live? What are their names? Can I meet them?” After a long pause, she responds, “They haven’t been born yet.”

This sounds like the opening of a gripping drama — but it reflects the experience of a growing number of people today. Nearly fifty years since the first child was born using in vitro fertilization (IVF), this technology has radically changed our understanding of procreation and parenthood.

On the one hand, it’s resulted in the birth of approximately one million children who are no less formed, fashioned, and made in God’s image than naturally conceived children.

But on the other hand, the fertility industry’s reliance on IVF as a one-size-fits-all solution leaves us with pressing questions about (1) the root causes of infertility, (2) moral problems with how doctors practice IVF, and (3) God’s good design for the “package deal” of marriage, sex, and procreation.

This essay will explore these three areas and consider God’s good design for family flourishing amidst developments

Eikon 7.1 (Spring 2025) p. 67

in reproductive technology.

Infertility In Medical And Biblical Perspective

In the past year, IVF has moved from being a quiet, personal decision to a major national debate. This shift has brought attention to a deeper crisis: rising infertility rates, outdated reproductive health care, and the longing many couples have for personalized treatment options to heal their infertility.

Discussing this issue first requires a proper understanding of infertility. Infertility is not a disease in itself; rather, it’s a symptom of underlying reproductive health conditions. Put another way, infertility isn’t a singular disease one can “catch,” but rather the overflow of deeper health issues that result in a person’s difficulty in conceiving or gestating a child.

For women, these underlying reproductive health conditions include endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), blocked fallopian tubes, uterine fibroids, and hormonal imbalances. For men, such conditions include low sperm count, l...