Fertil Steril. 2025 Aug 29:S0015-0282(25)01853-9. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2025.08.029. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the perspectives of stakeholders on their attitudes towards potential regulation of polygenic embryo screening (PES), a new form of preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) that is used to screen embryos for the genetic chances of developing medical conditions and non-medical traits involving hundreds or thousands of genes.
DESIGN: We conducted individual, semi-structured interviews and analyzed transcripts using thematic analysis.
SUBJECTS: 27 US-based reproductive endocrinology and infertility specialists and 26 patients who were currently undergoing IVF or had within the past five years.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Repeating ideas and patterned responses were organized into themes and subthemes.
RESULTS: While a majority of clinicians advocate for some form of regulation to ensure patient well-being, patients largely oppose restrictive measures, prioritizing procreative autonomy.
CONCLUSION: Our results highlight a tension between the welfarist approach favored by clinicians and the libertarian approach favored by patients, underscoring the complexity of developing governance frameworks for PES that satisfies multiple stakeholder groups. Ultimately, our findings call attention to the need for on-going dialogue among stakeholders to address the ethical and practical implications of PES and any potential regulation of it.
PMID:40887006 | DOI:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2025.08.029