Bishop Thomas John Paprocki | Diocese of Springfield

On February 18, President Donald Trump issued an executive order titled "Expanding Access to In Vitro Fertilization" (IVF). The order is aimed at making it easier for parents to have children. President Trump stated, "My Administration recognizes the importance of family formation, and as a Nation, our public policy must make it easier for loving and longing mothers and fathers to have children."

The executive order initiates a review process to develop policy recommendations focused on "protecting IVF access and aggressively reducing out-of-pocket and health plan costs for IVF treatment."

However, critics argue that while the intention is to support family building, the approach taken by the administration may be ethically questionable. They suggest that using IVF involves choices that can commodify human life.

Critics also highlight concerns about how IVF has led to an industry that treats human beings as products. This has resulted in what they describe as dehumanizing practices such as selling or manipulating embryos.

Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk, Ph.D., who serves as Senior Ethicist at The National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia, argues against expanding IVF funding and availability. He suggests instead pursuing alternatives like restorative reproductive medicine which addresses infertility's underlying causes without resorting to IVF.

Pacholczyk further advocates for strict regulation of IVF practices in line with some European countries' laws, such as those in Germany and Italy. These regulations aim to limit embryo production during IVF procedures.

Alternative strategies proposed include tax incentives for stay-at-home spouses, subsidies for childbirth expenses, expanded healthcare access, educational vouchers, and other measures designed to welcome more children into families without relying on technologies like IVF.

Father Pacholczyk earned his doctorate in neuroscience from Yale University and completed post-doctoral work at Harvard University. He is a priest in the diocese of Fall River, Massachusetts.