The Ethics of Assisted Reproduction Technologies and the HIV Infected Woman

Currently HIV infected men and women are living longer quality lives. This phenomenon is raising more and more ethical questions concerning ability to reproduce offspring. HIV infected women frequently ask health care providers about the safety and risks of becoming pregnant. HIV infected women also face the challenges of fertility more frequently and seek assisted reproductive technologies. Each case raises many ethical questions. The case study discussed in this paper illustrates the ethical issues raised by knowingly risking the birth of a child, as well as the health of the woman infected with HIV. The paper also offers a more balanced approach to enable nurses to understand the issues.