Infertility
| National Curriculum links (Key Stage
3 science) |
Sc1
1c |
... about the ways in which scientists work today
and how they worked in the past, including the roles of experimentation,
evidence and creative thought in the development of scientific ideas |
Sc2
2g |
... about the human reproductive system, including
the menstrual cycle and fertilisation |
| National Curriculum links (Key Stage
4 double science) |
Sc1
1c |
... ways in which scientific work may be affected
by the contexts in which it takes place (for example. social, historical,
moral and spiritual) and how these contexts may affect whether or
not ideas are accepted |
Sc1
1d |
... to consider the power and limitations of science
in addressing industrial, social ... questions including the kinds
of questions science can and cannot answer … and the ethical
issues involved |
Sc2
2j |
... the way in which hormonal control occurs, including
the effects of … the sex hormones |
Sc2
2k |
... some of the medical uses of hormones, including
the control and promotion of fertility … |
Resources
What is infertility?
gives a brief but fairly comprehensive look at what is meant by infertility,
the impact on individuals and some of the most common causes of infertility
in women and men.
Treating infertility
looks at some simple solutions to infertility - losing/gaining weight,
changing diet, etc - and at the use of fertility drugs. It includes
some of the problems initially associated with fertility drugs and the
difficulties of large multiple pregnancies and births.
Treating infertility
with IVF tells the story of the development of IVF from the earliest
recorded attempts at changing fertility to the story of Roberts and
Edwards and their pioneering work - and the brave patients who helped
them.
Infertility treatments
and ethics explores the idea that while science may produce a solution
to the problem of infertility, it cannot address the many ethical issues
associated with the solutions. The issues linked to the frozen embryos
which now result from most infertility treatments are considered in
some detail.
The infertility treatments
timeline summarises the main events in the history of infertility
treatments.
Activities
| Activity
1 |
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- Students produce a leaflet for young couples giving advice
about lifestyle changes which make them more likely to conceive
naturally without the need for infertility treatment. The leaflet
is to be freely available in doctors, chemists etc. Alternative
- to design a full page advert with the same information to
be published in "lifestyle" magazines aimed at people
in their twenties and thirties.
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| Activity
2 |
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| Activity
3 |
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- Students consider three different situations in which ethical
issues arise from the application of science to human fertility
using a range of text-based and class activities.
- If a couple die leaving frozen embryos, should a surrogate
mother carry the embryos to term so they can inherit their
parents wealth?
- IVF embryos are available for genetic manipulation before
return to the uterus. Should germ line genetic engineering
be allowed to get rid of genetic diseases?
- Is it ethical for spare embryos to be used in research and/or
to provide stem cells for growing new organs and other tissues
to treat diseases?
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| Activity
4 |
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- Students use the resources here to pinpoint the discovery
which enabled the big developments in infertility treatments
of the late 20th century to take place. They then choose one
of the major developments other than IVF and use a variety
of resources to find out more about it.
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