A new Europe-wide survey launched during the 42nd European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) Annual Meeting suggests broad public support for several areas of infertility treatment and reproductive research, and highlights key areas where public understanding and opinion continues to develop.
The report states:Fertility, embryo research, and genome editing: public attitudes in Europewas commissioned by the charity Progress Education Trust (PET) and carried out by Ipsos with support from ESHRE. We investigated public attitudes towards infertility treatment, embryo research, genome editing, surrogacy and related topics in the UK, Netherlands, Spain and Italy.
The survey involved 8,688 people aged 16 to 75, with more than 2,000 responses in each country. The samples were designed to be representative of each country’s population according to age, gender, region, and employment status.
In all four countries, the majority of respondents supported state-funded infertility treatment for people suffering from infertility or trying to conceive, ranging from 54% in the Netherlands to 64% in Italy.
The survey also found public support for the use of human embryos in research to better understand and develop treatments for congenital diseases. Support for the idea ranged from 41% in Italy to 48% in the Netherlands and Spain, and outnumbered opposition in all four countries surveyed, including Italy, where the use of human embryos for research is currently prohibited.
Views became more nuanced when respondents were asked about new applications and future developments. Support for genome editing varied by application, with support for removing serious or life-threatening conditions in embryos for pregnancy purposes being strongest, ranging from 46% in Italy to 55% in the Netherlands. A majority of respondents in the UK, Netherlands and Spain supported this use, even though none of the four countries surveyed currently allows such use.
Professor Karen Salmon, Immediate Past Chair of ESHRE, said: “Reproductive medicine and embryo research are progressing rapidly and these findings demonstrate the importance of understanding how the public views these developments. In particular, support for some applications is increasing. It is surprising that this is beyond what is currently permitted in certain countries.As science advances, it is essential that public awareness keeps pace so that decisions about future treatments are based on both evidence and societal values.
The survey also highlighted areas where many people still don’t have a firm opinion. The most common opinion among respondents who supported or neither supported nor opposed the use of human embryos in research was that the current 14-day limit on embryo research was “about right.” However, more than a quarter (27%) of respondents asked about the 14-day limit said they were unsure whether it was too long, too short or about the right amount.
Respondents were also asked what circumstances would justify extending the 14-day limit to 28 days. Among those who support embryo research, and those who neither support nor oppose it, the most common reason to justify extending restrictions was to find new treatments for congenital diseases. Taken together, these findings suggest that many people have not yet reached a settled position on this issue, and that understanding the potential medical benefits of embryo research may play an important role in shaping future attitudes.
Differences in generational attitudes were observed across several topics investigated in the survey, including gender choice, access to fertility treatment, and embryo research. Across the survey, only a small number of respondents said they did not want to answer, suggesting a willingness to address these issues even if their views are not yet fully formed.
This report is packed with rich insights into public opinion on complex scientific, legal and ethical issues. There are some surprising findings, including that in all four countries, younger respondents are more likely than older respondents to say that sex selection should be allowed. It is also surprising that in each of the four countries, more respondents say surrogacy should be allowed than say it should be prohibited. ”
Sarah Norcross, Director of Progress Educational Trust
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European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology
