Legal Definitions - assisted reproductive technology

Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) refers to medical procedures that help people conceive a child. These procedures are usually done in a laboratory and can include:

• In vitro fertilization (IVF)
• Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)
• Donor eggs or sperm
• Surrogacy

For example, a couple who is struggling to conceive may undergo IVF, where eggs are removed from the woman's ovaries and fertilized with sperm in a laboratory. The resulting embryos are then transferred back into the woman's uterus.

Another example is a same-sex male couple who wants to have a child. They may use a surrogate who carries a fertilized embryo created with one of their sperm and a donor egg.

ART has helped many people become parents who may not have been able to do so otherwise. However, it can also be expensive and emotionally challenging.